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Baby personality change at 6 months?
Hi all,
My LO is 28 weeks today and for the past couple of weeks she seems to be a bit of a different baby, I was just wondering if this is normal or whether we have any hope of getting our happy little girly back?!
She always slept well, and went down happily at 7pm, waking at 5-6am for a feed then going back to sleep until 7:30/8am. For the past couple of weeks she's suddenly started waking at any random point in the night and won't go back down without a feed. Given she's on 3 meals a day plus plenty of milk it just seems ridiculous. Nothing will settle her except milk.
During the day she is really quite irritable, she used to be so content and able to play on her own for times, but now she starts whinging really easily and it's so hard to keep her entertained. She's really quick to start complaining in the car or in the pram too, when she was always just so content before.
She does love to be out and about and is very smiley a lot of the time when we're at groups etc, and I have considered that it's just boredom when we're at home, but it doesn't really follow the pattern as it can start v. soon after her waking.
She is getting quite frustrated at the fact she can't be on the move, most times that I put her on her back down to play she'll roll onto her front and tries really hard to crawl but can't yet, and if I stand her up she no longer just stands there she's putting one foot in front of the other to try and walk. I wondered if it might be because she's frustrated about wanting to be on the move?
If anyone has any suggestions or just some reassurance that either it's a phase or that it might get any better I'd really appreciate it. She was always such a happy little girl, really content, and it's hard not to blame yourself when they don't seem happy.
Thanks xx
My LO is 28 weeks today and for the past couple of weeks she seems to be a bit of a different baby, I was just wondering if this is normal or whether we have any hope of getting our happy little girly back?!
She always slept well, and went down happily at 7pm, waking at 5-6am for a feed then going back to sleep until 7:30/8am. For the past couple of weeks she's suddenly started waking at any random point in the night and won't go back down without a feed. Given she's on 3 meals a day plus plenty of milk it just seems ridiculous. Nothing will settle her except milk.
During the day she is really quite irritable, she used to be so content and able to play on her own for times, but now she starts whinging really easily and it's so hard to keep her entertained. She's really quick to start complaining in the car or in the pram too, when she was always just so content before.
She does love to be out and about and is very smiley a lot of the time when we're at groups etc, and I have considered that it's just boredom when we're at home, but it doesn't really follow the pattern as it can start v. soon after her waking.
She is getting quite frustrated at the fact she can't be on the move, most times that I put her on her back down to play she'll roll onto her front and tries really hard to crawl but can't yet, and if I stand her up she no longer just stands there she's putting one foot in front of the other to try and walk. I wondered if it might be because she's frustrated about wanting to be on the move?
If anyone has any suggestions or just some reassurance that either it's a phase or that it might get any better I'd really appreciate it. She was always such a happy little girl, really content, and it's hard not to blame yourself when they don't seem happy.
Thanks xx
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Replies
Also, it could be teething - are there any other signs? Could just be that at certain times (like at groups at things) she's distracted from it.
Another thought is that the night waking can be linked to development so if they are going through a particular phase of just learning something new then their sleep can be quite unsettled.
HTH! K x
She's not really showing any major signs of teething, she already has her two bottom teeth and the top two are slowly making their way down but aren't near the gum yet I don't think.
I do hope it's just a phase, it's reassuring to know they do go through phases too and that it might not always be like this! Thanks xx
My LO started doing this at about 6 months too. She just became very whingey and you could tell she was super bored! She loves being out and about so days at home she was a nightmare. Up until then she was happy to stay home a couple of days a week.
I started taking her out every day, often just for walks, feeding the ducks, playing on the swings etc. and it seemed to really help, just getting out for an hour. We also started a couple more playgroups which she loves! Also doing more things at home - we'd play with her toys together, sings songs, bounce on the bed!
Oh and also I rotate her toys! I only leave a few out and stash some away, then every week or so swap them around. LIke having new toys every week
She might be waking up because she hasn't tired out enough in the day? I found that (mostly!!) when we'd done more she would sleep better.
Also she might be having a little growth spurt (which would explain the extra night feed). Have you thought about goodnight milk or some cereal alongside her night time bottle?
It really does seem to just be a phase - now she can play on her own for ages happily and (teething aside!) is a happy bunny again.
Sorry for the essay...hope it helps!
xxx
We already do 4 playgroups over 3 days and we only have one day at home a week, the rest are spent either walking outside, at other mummys houses or at the playgroups. She seems to have a ridiculous amount of energy at night at about an hour before bed where she just goes crazy, super giggly and just generally hyperactive, which would potentially suggest she's getting too much sleep during the day? We do a lot during the day and even on days where we've been super busy I find that she still wakes up.
I've really cut back on her afternoon nap recently as we've had builders working on our house, so I wonder if perhaps it has anything to do with that; but then she naps for an hour in the morning, an hour and a half at lunch so I'd have not thought she needed much more in the afternoon. She tends to just have 10-15 mins. Perhaps I'll cut her morning nap back a bit and then give her a little longer in the afternoon.
Sorry, I'm really thinking out loud here in what I'm typing! I think I might play around with her naps and see if that makes a difference.
If all else fails I might give the extra cereal before bed a go; I'd love to use something like Hipp Goodnight Milk but she's lactose intolerant so needs special milk, but some sort of cereal might be okay. Would you make that up as her dinner or just an extra bit of food before bed? She already has some dinner (generally veg based) at 5pm then a last bottle at 6:50pm before sleep. xx
How are you and Sophie getting on?
Eva had a wee phase like this about a month ago. She was so whingy and nothing pleased her. She was getting up during the night and guzzling 2 full bottles, this is after her sleeping though.
It was just a phase, and after a couple of weeks, she switched back to her usual self!
We started giving her baby cereal at bedtime. So she has her bath, then I give her a few spoonfuls of cereal ( we have Organix), then give her her last bottle. Seems to work really well.
Hope that helps xxx
My LO is nearly 8 months and was like this around 6 months too, we had no idea what had got into her, one particular week was horrendous, then we tried a little herbal teething powder (ashton and parsons) and it seemed to satisfy her for a fair bit.
Then we found that there were shadows of white in her gums by her canines!! hadnt had any teeth but they never cut and we're yet to see any teeth but I honestly think she was having a bad week of teething.
As Kaycee says it could be that whilst she's distracted it isnt a problem....
Also I think and just an opinion and my own theory, the top teeth could possibly affect their sinuses alittle, perhaps giving a slightly blocked or runny nose and maybe alittle tender in the cheeks, I sometimes wonder if it can also give them a little headache...
I think its good old trial and error with what will work
You've reminded me, my LO did also have a nap in the afternoon (just a short one) and she dropped it at about 6 months - so it might be that the little doze is her disco nap which can keep her up so playing with naps might well help!
I do goodnight milk as the last feed before bed, but I know lots of people who do cereal plus regular bottle before bed (it has the same effect I think).
You have my full sympathies...this phase was a nightmare! xxx
Strangely enough yesterday and today she's been a lot better.... she's been much more cheerful and I don't really know why.
I cut back a bit on her morning nap today and encouraged her to go a bit longer between naps and she seemed absolutely fine with it. It will be interesting to see how she sleeps tonight, I'm not expecting miracles but it'll be interesting to see if she wakes any less. We're going to do a dreamfeed before we head to bed too as she didn't have much milk at all today, 3 decent meals though. x