Anyone elses baby starting to get clingy and becoming a misery?

[Spuggy]

Today when I went to a friends house we noticed that my boy cried when he was held by someone else. He was ok if I was next to him. I so don't want him to be like this. He is only 3 months.

At the same time he has been a real misery. He is always moaning or crying. Why? Perhaps I give him too much attention? He is usually showing signs of tiredness throughout the day but will not sleep! I have to take him to a dark room and rock him till he stops crying before he will sleep and then when I put him down he willl only go for 30mins and will wake up tired and crying. It's getting very draining.

Perhaps controlled crying is the way forward? Either that or my back is going to give way any day now.

Only trying to do the best for my boy but it seems to back fire.

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

How long has he been upset? Could he be poorly so only wants mummy cuddles? Also with being clingy, charley used to be like that and in the end I ended up having to just leave him to cry for 5-10mins cos I also had my daughter to look after. It was very hard to sort her out while he was crying. He's now fine to be left alone for abit and I can normally get on with housework without him getting upset.
He also wouldn't nap unless on me and only for 20-30mins. I brought him a swing which was great! He goes in when showing signs of tiredness and sleeps for anything between 45mins to 2 hours!!

 

[evie_smith]

Chloe is 3 months and crys when daddy is home :-/ and is good when he isn't lol!!

 

[isobel84]

Noa has started to demand for me.. we are trying not to give in tho as he is just as safe and loved in daddys arms. its only when he starts to get tired tho. OTher times he dont care who he is with he chatt and laugh almost as much as with me

 

[Annie050408]

Are you bf? I think it's more common in that case isn't it? I find that Ella shouts for my attention and watches me CONSTANTLY... I mean all the time!! It a bit freaky sometimes!! Lol! However she will be held by others though as it means she can get a better look at me! Eeeek! Sometimes I think she is judging me

 

[Tasha89]

Apparently around 3-4 months babies start to realise that they're no longer part of their Mothers and that they are a totally seperate person which I think would scare anyone who was used to being attached to someone for so long. They also only have a short term (to some extent) memory so they cant remember that when you walk out of a room you WILL come back.
Personally I love it when i'm the only one that can calm Evelyn. Means I cant steal my baby back for Mummy cuddles all the time :-D Means it'll be a bitch to leave her with other people but I've only left her twice for a few hours since she was born anyway! lol!x

 

[Wannabepreggers]

I suppose it's every mothers God given right to feel a bit smug to be wanted by our babies all the time lol (I konw I do). At the same time, it's a double edged sword though. For the first time, Joseph would not let me put him down yesterday, I even missed going to the clinic to get him weighed cos he just wouldn't let me get ready.

Think it might be something to do with his sleeping patterns changing, he seems to be sleeping less during the day now which, in the long run, will be better if he sleep more during the night.

 

[chels21]

I never had a close bond at first with my two children as they were premature and in hospital for a while. I must say my son is a mummies boy but my daughter is a daddies girl. All she will do all day is scream at run away from me or cry all time for her daddy. It bothers me it really does but i try getting close to her but she wont have it. I think whats her daddy got that i havent. My OH like te fact she llikes him more then me. xx

 

[Momma`Kat]

Ah Ha! Alanna is like this.. Constantly. My back cant take it , nor can my ears. Controlled crying here im afraid, Even though i swore i never would! I have to.. Its the only way I get a break Lol. Just persevere hun.. itll get better..

(I hope!)

 

[evie_smith]

Chloe has now started to cry for her daddy but in all honesty now we have done a week of controlled crying she rarely cries at all she is so good will play on her mat for hours with not a peep

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

It helps me to understand why babies do this - as I know how draining it can be!

It usually coincides with either a growth spurt or the learning of a new skill, and I think its their way of keeping you close while they go through some scary changes.

The 'big' clingy phases coincide with learning to crawl and walk. Think about it - baby is suddenly mobile but if she goes wandering off too far she could fall over a cliff or into the paws of a waiting bear! So its inbuilt to make sure mummy is close at all times while they find their way.

I know its no consolation when your tired and your back hurts and you just want 5 minutes peace to oh i dont know, have a wee or something. But it helps me to respond to her needs without feeling resentment (not saying you do, thats just how it has been for me at times) xx

 

[Momma`Kat]

lol i take her with me!

 

[evie_smith]

If I need a wee I take Chloe with me
Too - not that she cries anyway but I have a 2 and a 3yr old I don't want hugging her ext .. Lol she sits in her bath seat in the empty bath and watches me lol!!

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

See charley doesn't like cuddles anymore which is really upsetting he moans when he's being cuddled for too long!
When I had my PND I hated cuddling him, I know sounds horrible but I was in my dark cloud at the time but now I'm over it, I could sit all day and cuddle him but he hates it. That's why I don't mind night feeds ATM cos I get my cuddles then cos he's too sleepy to fight me off!!

 

[Yodabo]

I thought Drake was becoming clingy as whenever anybody holds him he grumps. But he's like it sometimes with me so I put him in his car seat with his dummy and blankey and he's all smiles again which makes me think he hates being mollycoddled!

 

[scaredmum2be]

This happens alot sometimes with LO with other people and i find its more a case of if hes just woken up and not quite with it he goes off on one lol. Although when it happens i get me baby back an go awwww did they make you cry poor baby get him all to mesen hehe.

I've also learnt that if he crys when hes over tired there is nothing to soothe him an ive been nice to him for so long and making a rod for my own back because he wont let me do anything tryin to control his crying doesnt work anymore an ive no choice but to let him cry it out now days he. Rocking him back foward never works nemore.

I do worry when i take him places and i wonder if its to do with seperation anxiety if he gets taken away from mummy or daddy he cries on other people. lol x

 

[inky]

When Cahal was around 3 months old he hated being held by others - I went to a family do at one of my aunts as it was my cousin's 18th and was looking forward to everyone holding him and being able to show him off, only for him to spend the entire afternoon crying because he wasn't being held by his mummy! Totally different story now though, now he's that little bit older (well, twice as old!) he loves meeting people and showing off for them. He loves the attention and laughs and plays to them to get more smiles. It's lovely to watch

He still definitely prefers his mummy though, but I'm starting to think it's because I still BF, he knows where the good stuff is lol!

 

[Spuggy]

Thanks for your advice.

I have been experimenting. As soon as Lewis gets grizzly and rubs his eyes (and doesn't need feeding) i have been putting him in his pram and taking him round the block (sometimes with a pashmina over to make it darker). 9 times out of 10 he goes to sleep within the forst 5 mins. Then I take him home and put him in the conservatory. If he starts to murmer or its around 30mins I rock him and sometimes he goes off again and can go for another 30mins.

Turns out he is grizzly because he is tired and believe me he has been a different baby this week. It has made all the difference. He is so much happier. Instead of a couple of 30mins her or there he has been getting about 3 30min naps and 1 long hour nap. Once or twice he has gone for an hour and 30mins.

It has been hard work but it means he is a much happpier baby wihen her is awake. Eventually I will try and get him to sleep inside perhaps. But for now the pram and the sleep sheep will do.

Think the 5pm nap is working out ok. Although he is still tired at 6pm but I think this must be too early for him to go to bed?