5 Month Old Not Wanting Dad to Feed Her

do a mommy's day out. seriously, all day out of the house. grab breakfast with a girlfriend. go to a museum. grab lunch and enjoy some part of the city you don't get to visit often with baby in the afternoon or see a movie. come home around time to cook dinner. the day will probably be difficult for baby and daddy at first, but they will settle in with each other by lunch time and have some good bonding time by afternoon. i'm sure of it. then make a habit of it. it's normal for the baby to bond more with the sah parent. you have to change it by allowing time one-on-one with the other.

Hi A.!
We had that same problem with our first child. My Husband just thought it was because she was with me all day and wasn't used to him. But I thought it had to be "something else" because she just loved being with him any other time, such as playing on the floor or just being held by Daddy. So, my Mother suggested that my Husband wear or hold a Tshirt, that I had already worn over his shoulder while he fed her and she quieted down quite a bit but was still a little fussy and wouldn't finish her bottles. My Mother then said that it could be because he was holding her at a different angle than the one I held her during feedings. I breastfed, as well. So, my Husband angled her the way I did and used my Tshirt as his burp cloth and she never had another fussy episode with Daddy! Eventually the Tshirt went away.
Hope it works for you!
D.

I like the tshirt idea one mom had, and I wonder what your husband is exposed to during his day, such as smoke, colognes, etc. that may be bothering your baby. Does he wear a soft shirt, like a tshirt to feed the baby...I mean, things like this bothered my kids when they were babies. Even now at ages 5 and 8, although they dearly love sitting on their dad's lap, they still say I am more cuddly, meaning my body is more to their liking for cuddling.
Kudos to your husband for hanging in there with the fussing and letting you get a few things done.
Best wishes.

Hi A.!
I have the same problem! Actually with both of my kids.I think the problem my husband has is he doesnt hold the babies right,he sits them up more and doesnt realy cuddle them while feeding them.Im not sure how he's holding her but maybe he can try re-positioning.Good luck!!

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My daughter is 9 months old, and she doesn't want anyone, not even daddy, but her mama! I'm a stay at home mom, and she is just extremely attached to me. She'll play with her daddy a few minutes when he gets home, but after that, she wants me. If she's sleepy, she won't even go to her daddy! I guess she just sees me as the one who takes care of her because I'm with her all the time.

I have a 2 month old, and she and I are together all day while daddy is at work. I nurse and bottle feed her, and she drinks all her milk that I give her. I have noticed however, that she blows me off when her daddy is in sight. When we are in the car she will stare at him the entire time and smile at him. As soon as he leaves, she screams her head off because her daddy is gone. Eventually she stops crying and is a happy baby again with mommy. When daddy gets home from work, she prefers daddy but doesn't want daddy to feed her. She sometimes will drink a few ounces, but that's about it. I usually take her into the other room after a while so that way i can nurse her and she falls asleep. Really what I'm trying to say here is that babies have preferences for everything. She knows that I am the nurturer and daddy is playtime. (You would think she'd prefer me to daddy since I'm with her all day!)

I went through something similar when my daughter was smaller. Except I breastfed mine so I had to feed her, but she always has and still does prefer me over my husband. I was a stay at home mom too for the first 2 years, (she's 3 now) so I think that bond of being together all the time just doesn't go away. Plus your baby is getting to the age where she will start to develp separation anxiety. It's like they start to realize they are separate from you. Your husband shoud try to relax and cuddle and love on her, but hopefully he won't get mad at her that she prefers mom. My husband gets so jealous sometimes. Maybe you can try taking her for a second to calm her down then hand her back to her daddy. You may have to keep doing it but hopefully eventually she will realize that she has to stay with daddy and that he's not such bad guy afterall. =) Best wishes.

At any age, kids will have their own 'parent preferences'. Like you said, if you're in the room when her daddy's trying to feed her, she's going to want you because that's who she prefers right now. They'll go through several of these phases growing up, and will switch 'favorite parent' when you leaset expect it and for no reason at all. Best bet is that if daddy's going to feed her, you go to another room to get other chores done while you have the chance.

A good example of how crazy these phases can be-my daughter is almost 5 and a complete daddy's girl, except when we all carpool to work/daycare in the morning, then she insists that mommy drives. Get used to it-kids are completely unpredictable!

Its perfectly normal to have parental prefrences and for them to change (sometimes week to week) as kids grow. Mine do the same thing (19 mos and almost 4) I just go along with it and try not to take it personaly.

If you havent yet, try starting your daughter on solids (rice cereal) at the table, she will like being included with her parents meals. My kids were both early eaters and we do our eating together, which also helps them try new foods later on.

Good luck and congrats on your baby, and remember to have fun with her!

K.