I just dont get this baby! help

MMCH

Thu, Jul 11 2013, 1:54 pm

my 6 month old baby is a challenging baby.
well I should say was, bc whoever is around me says she's great, but I just cant get over those 3 months of constant crying.
well either way, she super unpredictable, shes my second, so I know from my first what a schedule looks like, and how to do it, but with this one, I am completely lost!!
one night she sleeps thru the night, (it was like 730-530) and the next night shes up every 3 hours.
one day she naps for 2.5 hours, the next day 45 minutes,
one day she gobbles up the oatmeal, the next day she doesnt want to touch food.

I know I should put her on some sort of schedule, but im also having a hard time putting her to bed at night (Without just nursing her to sleep) bc my 2 year old is following me around and wakes up the baby ( I know I could put 2 year old down first, but baby just screams while I do that

idk wat kind of advice im looking for, but just something!

Dolly Welsh

Thu, Jul 11 2013, 2:10 pm

Growth spurt. It will be all right.

Make sure the baby isn't overdressed, bored, or thirsty, then put the 2 year old down first and hope a Nuk paci will shush the baby while you are doing that.

If it doesn't, she will have to wait, and scream.

I like the sound of "gobble". She sounds like a healthy kid growing in spurts.

When is teething?

Paregoric is handy for that. It's an opiate and works great. With a doc's ok, obviously.

Hugs.

solo

Thu, Jul 11 2013, 2:12 pm

Sounds so similar to my sitch.
5 mo baby was colicky for first 3 months. Is mostly happy now but evenings aren't great. My 2 ur old takes more than an hr to settle down at night and needs me there the whole time. I put baby to sleep first cuz shed cry while I put ds to sleep. But ds hangs on me makes noise and otherwise disturbs my attempts to put baby to sleep.
My solution is to sit him in front of a video. It usually keeps him occupied long enough to get baby to sleep. ( this was not an easy decision. Ds never even saw any sort of video before this. But it's the only way to keep things peaceful
As for the rest of your day. Enjoy the peaceful moments. ANC know the crazy ones will pass soon. I keep counting how may more weeks till playgroup starts.

MMCH

Thu, Jul 11 2013, 2:44 pm

dolly welsh- I always love your advice, it reminds me of my mother.
I know its just a small stage and she'll grow out of it quickly, but as a young (newish) mother im always scared of the future, "lets say she doesnt sleep through the night? lets say she never eats nicely"
as my mother always says 'they'll be adults longer than they will be children!"

that vent felt good Smile

granolamom

Thu, Jul 11 2013, 10:18 pm

MMCH wrote:

dont go borrowing trouble.
the way your baby eats/sleeps now is NOT a predictor of her future. and even if it was...so what if she grows up to be an insomniac? worse things have happened. and I know lots of adults who are picky eaters and still manage to have meaningful relationships and successful careers.

its hard now, but it passes. dont make it more than it is.

and here's a tip... each child comes with his/her own stuff. just because you have one (or 6) figured out doesnt mean the next one that comes along wont stump you!

FranticFrummie

Fri, Jul 12 2013, 12:07 am

The first rule of parenting is "Prepare to throw all your expectations out the door. Be flexible, and let your child lead." Your baby may not be ready for a schedule yet. Like Dolly said, she may be teething or having a huge growth spurt, or both! My DD decided to get her first teeth in at 3 1/2 months, just a week after she'd gotten over her EPIC case of colic (which I thought I'd never survive.) She's 10yo now, and still won't sleep on schedule without melatonin, and she's still a picky eater with unpredictable likes and dislikes.

But you know what? She's an awesome kiddo, and her quirks in no way make her any more difficult a kid as any other, they're just different than other kids. B'H she's kind, gentle, generous and compassionate. She knows she's loved, and she's a delight to have around.

All I can say is "Hang in there". 6 months is early days, way too soon to start making predictions and having worries about her future. She is what Hashem gave you, because she is the baby that Hashem knew you were supposed to have.