Help! Ideas needed pleeeease

[jowalk6]

My almost 4 week old baby has been a really good settler from when he was born, and very happy. I last last 4 days he has gone to being really grumpy and clingy. He cries after i have had him in his seat for 5 minutes. At night he doesn't settle so well either. I can't seem to get anything done, as he seems quite happy to fall asleep on me. I wondered if anybody elses baby has gone through this phase? Any advice would be really appreciated. xx

[NanKing]

Do you think he could have a bug of some sort - has he been sick or had a runny nose? Only ask as it's worth excluding that possibility - can be hard to tell with a small baby. To some extent I would say that all of mine have become harder to settle around 4-6 weeks - I think it has something to do with them becoming more aware of the world around them and where you are in relation to them (i.e. I quite like sleeping on you thanks very much rather than me being in the basket and you across the room!) Have you tried doing some of the things you can do with him in a sling? Or does it work to sneak him down once asleep? It does pass, and maybe that has to do with them being old enough (and having vision good enough) to be busy with other things like a baby gym etc, but at the moment he is still at that age when you are his world and he wants to be close to you all the time. Its hard, hard work to be joined at the hip with a little one but my experience (just mine so I'm not saying it's true for everyone) is that it's actually getting that closeness which makes them able to grow out of that phase - once you have proved that you are always there then they start to broaden their horizons a bit. I don't know if that's very helpful but you will find a way through and that settled temperament will probably turn out to be the 'real him' and come back as he gets older.

[jowalk6 in reply to NanKing]

Thank you so much for the advice. It helps to hear other peoples thoughts x

[DrFluffy]

Classic first growth spurt? Doesn't last long x

[jowalk6 in reply to DrFluffy]

Thank you for your reply. That helps x

[cheekymonkey3791]

I been going through this exact same thing this past week, it's been a nightmare....I would rather labour him again!

He was 3 wks yesterday and he's finally out some of his newborn baby grows, the arms all look short and the feet too, body length I think I could get away with still. He was born just under 8lbs, going to hopefully get him weighed this week.

He's also got a cold which he had now passed into me so I expect it all to get somewhat harder as I am suffering with bad headaches this past week too X

[jowalk6 in reply to cheekymonkey3791]

It's good to know there are others out there lol.. I have been getting alot of headaches too, probably the stress lol.. I am so glad your little one is growing well. My little man was 6lb 11 when he was born, and I feel he has grown alot. Can't wait to get him weighed again. Hope it gets easier for you. Take care x

[mamacool]

One of the best pieces of info that I have ever come across I will share with you. When babies are small they grow so rapidly both physically and mentally that sometimes it is overwhelming. If we consider this as weather, it may come across as a rainy, rotten day when baby is trying to come to terms with his or her self during a growth spurt. The sunny days are the days when it all makes sense and baby is happy and relaxed. Now the weather is neither all sunny or all rainy but a mixture of the two, therefore try not to worry about this rainy rotten period because it will pass.

Around this sort of age its not uncommon for babies to suffer from a bit of colic as they start to become more hungry too, either way this stage will pass almost as soon as it started. I hope this helps

[jowalk6 in reply to mamacool]

Thank you for the reassuring words x