Grump 6 Month Old. Will It Ever End?

I agree with other moms, Pediatrician's advice would be good. And maybe a tough case of gas. My childs doctor suggested I try Mylicon - drops you give just before and or after eating, drinking milk for gas. Sold at Target and Over the counter and will rule out gas problems if it does not help. Maybe change formula, etc. I also had to do soy milk for a while when were overseas and the milk was different - and my son is really only drinking skim milk since he's two in America. Maybe even a little lactose intolerance which can be very painful. Best of luck. If things are difficult with a child and making daily routines difficult then it is something to address with a professsional no matter how trivial it may seem, it is not.

Hi Kim,

What does your peditrician say? If she is teething, the Pediatrician can order you some Hurricane gel for her gums.

Have you thought about getting her a developmental screening?

Information and referral for local screening or evaluation and assessment for infants and toddlers web site:

www.infantva.org

Also contact the La Leche League for information on breast feeding.

www.lllusa.org/VA/WebTidewaterVA

Get into a parenting support group.

www.kidspriorityone.org

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

Hope this helps.

Hi Kim!

Some questions . . . Does her grumpiness seem to relate to eating? Does she spit up a lot? My daughter was an extremely grumpy child and it took us months to figure out that she had acid reflux and was in pain after eating and when lying down. Her esophagus became so inflamed that the pain was nearly constant. I don't know if that's the case with your little girl, but I would speak to the pediatrician about it. Some children are just grumpier than others, but if it is happening constantly there could be more going on than just personality traits.

That being said, you may also simply have a child who is more sensitive than average. There's a great book called "The Highly Sensitive Child," which talks about kids who are more sensitive than their peers and how to help them adapt in a world that seems overwhelming to them.

Good luck to you! I know this must be very stressful and worrying but keep the faith.

I think it must be first borns! My DD was a lot like yours. And it didn't go away until she could walk. She just wanted to do more than she was able to!

The one thing that I found realy helped her, was singing to her. We would sit outside or I would swing with her in my lap, and I would sing to her, all the time! We had a diaper changeing song, night-night songs, and just about every kid song I could think of. Over and over! She was humming her ABC's at 12 months and singing it at 15 months.

Hang in there and I hope that helps your little one!

First, Kim, congratulations on your daughter. These tough days WILL pass, though it may not seem like it right now, I know. Please see the pediatrician ASAP and if your current pediatrician has already seen the baby and dismissed this as "just teething," see a different one. You're the consumer here and if the baby's pain is constant, find someone who will listen to every detail you can offer. This groaning etc. could be teething but often that comes and goes. This may be something other than teething pain and you should see a pediatrician now, and be very detailed with the doctor about the baby's drinking, eating, how different body positions seem to make her "groan," how she seems constantly in pain, etc. Since she is nursing and also starting solids, this could be a bad problem with gas or acid reflux (which a lot of babies get and which can be quite painful) or even an early food allergy to something in the solids or something you've been eating (which could be affecting your milk). Or it could be something else that's not digestive, but a good doctor should ask you a lot of questions and keep probing. Yes, some infants just go through tough periods when they are simply cross all the time, but this sounds like physical discomfort rather than disposition, so please don't be too discouraged or label her personality as "grumpy." I know it may seem right now like she's just not being a fun, happy baby with whom you want to play and cuddle, but if getting her some help is your first stop, then you may soon get back a happier infant. Please report back here and good luck!

I agree a chat with the dr. would be a good idea just to make sure. My experience is that teething is just very hard on some kids. I have had some that sailed through with maybe a little tylenol and the hardest nothing seemed to work for her. She was perfectly healthy she would just scream over her teeth. I started drinking a cup ofchamomile tea in the evening with dinner and then when she would nurse in the evening she would relax and sleep better at night which actually made the whole phase easier to deal with. She went on to nurse for 2 1/2yrs and she is now a happy sunny 7yr. She is still a touch on the melodramatic side of things but she is a joy. All that to say some times parenting is easier than others but the rewards are there. Hang in there. Try reading some Dr. Sears books or going to his website askdr.sears it is informative and encouraging.

Poor things! You both sound miserable! I have a few suggestions...

I am a mother of two, ages 5 and 2. Your baby's behavior sounds like something beyond teething. I would keep a journal of her eating (list everything) and sleeping habits, including watching and recording her behaviors. The first thing that comes to mind is that she may have a food allergy or other allergy of some sort that is making her miserable. My advice would be to use a journal, then take it to your pediatrician, armed with some real data about her behaviors. Then you may be on the path to giving her the help and relief both of you need.

Hi Kim!

First of all, welcome to the USA AND to motherhood! My name is T. and I have four children, each of whom I nursed for around two years. I know how draining, pardon the pune, it can be when that is all they want to do! First of all, we want to rule out is pain. Perhaps it is her ears? Does she pull on them? I am wondering if she may just need more stimulation. Perhaps you do as well. Children pick up on how we are feeling and often mirror back to us. I think moms hold the most important position, but are often not made to feel appreciated. Please know if you need support you are not alone. Feel free to call me and perhaps we can meet. I'd love to meet your little one. I love a good challenge and she sounds like one! The main thing is, you need support to be the best you can be. You are doing the right thing by being open about your frustration. A burden shared is half the load! Call me if you like! ###-###-####
T.

Hi Kim, I just want to ditto what all the other PPs said, and suggest you ask your pedi about digestive issues. My first reaction when I read this was acid reflux, but there could also be other digestive issues, or even a milk protein allergy. It's just not normal for a baby to be in that much pain all the time. I would ask your pediatrician to evaluate her for some gastroinestinal issues, and hopefully he/she can get her on the path to being a happy baby once again! Good Luck!

I would also make sure her ears are clear. She could have an ear infection or buildup of fluids. That is something you definitely want ruled out, because if it goes on untreated they can suffer hearing/speech impairments.
Good luck!

Hi Kim. Sorry you are struggling with this and Yes, it will end. In the meantime it sounds like you are doing what you can do. Just be understanding, talk with her a lot - they do really understand if you give them some love and respect and tell them when you are going to change their diaper and ask them to cooperate.

I did want to mention that there is not really such a thing as "between meals" with kids this age. Their tummies are about the size of their fists so food goes through very quickly. there is no way that they could last on our schedule of 3 meals spread out during the day. That is great that you are nursing her, that definitely helps to ease her pain as well as keep her tummy full. I would let her eat constantly if she is hungry - oatmeal and yogurt is one of my child's favorites and keeps her belly full.

I also found that my child was extremely fussy during the stage where she really wanted to see the world, but couldn't yet sit up or crawl to do it on her own. I got her an exersaucer or activity saucer (round with a seat in the middle and toys around it) and a bouncy swing (hangs in the doorway) and it did wonders for her mood - she was upright and could play for hours with the little toys attached to it. If you have access to something like that - give it a try! It will free your hands and keep her happy!

If nothing else works, bear with her - her teeth will not hurt this much all the time and just give her lots of reassuring hugs and kisses. Here's sending you the same!!

Have you asked her ped? It sounds like reflux although I think the symptoms would have been there since she was a few weeks old. My son was the same way...he was on zantac which helped enormously but as soon as he'd have a growth spurt he'd outgrow the dosage and act exactly like you describe. I would think he was teething then finally weigh him and call the ped to see if the dosage changed and sure enough, that was always it.

I definitely suggest talking to her pediatrician. Mine once said that babies are supposed to be happy the majority of the time and if they are not then something is wrong.

Hello Kim,

So sorry you and your little one are going through this!! I have been reading some interesting things about food allergies and sensitivities lately, I wonder if your daughter might have something like that. The things I have been reading are on a yahoo group I belong to, anyone can join, its called APVirginia on yahoogroups.com. You could join and read the posts, sounds like it 'fits' your daughter. There are some super smart mommas who have struggled like you with behaviors that didn't make sense, then when they find out what their little ones are sensitive too, remove it from their diets their kids change totally ( for the better). And its a simple saliva test to find out about sensitivities so its non invasive. One book that has been recommended its, "Is this your child?'
Good luck to you!

Try to think about when this started. Has she always been like this or is this something that gradually happened as you added solids. My son was a very grumpy baby. Also, called "high need." We tried breastfeeding and he cried all the time. A nurse in the hospital told me he wasn't getting enough nourishment, which I couldn't believe. We gave him a bottle of formula and he was content. My son also needed lots of reassurance, even as an infant. He wanted to be held, constantly. Turns out he was very gassy. And, still has digestive problems (now age 9). He prefers a very bland diet, even to this day. He's lactose intolerant. Prefers plain rice, no gravy or butter; low-salt vegetables, little meat and no cooked oatmeal or cereal with milk. The problem also could be teething, as well as reflux or slow digestion. Discuss this with pediatrician. There are some great dissolving teething tablets you can find in Walmart or CVS. If it's not teething, you might have to try eliminating a certain food a week to see if there is any relief for her. When she sees the doctor, check to see if she has impacted stools, even if she is going regularly.

My little one was incredibly grumpy all the time until we discovered he was allergic to egg whites and peanuts. Once we cut those from his diet and mine while he was nursing, he was a different child!! It can't hurt to ask for an allergy test. I hope things get better.
~T.

Hi Kim- I would take her to the doctor just to rule out reflux or anything else that could be causing her pain. You might want to read the book The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. She divides babies into 4 different personality types, grumpy being one of them, and gives all kinds of hints on how to deal with the different personalities. She also has a lot of tips on feeding, sleep schedules and other ways to read baby cues. I read it when my daughter was about 3 months old and constantly miserable. Turns out that she wasn't getting enough sleep. I had taken the pediatrician's advice to keep her up all day and turns out that was wrong. Anyways, her book was very helpful to me as a first time mom with a very sensitive newborn. Good luck to you.

Hi there Kim,

Welcome to the US. I lived in Namibia for over 3 years and traveled extensively in S. Africa - lovely place! My son was born in Namibia. At the time we had a Damara woman help care for him and she showed me a few good tricks! When Jasper was fussy (around the same age as your daughter) she would put him securely (needs to be a bit snug) on her back and walk with him. I tell you that it worked miracles! Initially when I tried it, I didnt do it correctly (apparently the back carrier wasnt snug enough). However after a few times and practice it seemed to work wonders. Although Ill tell you that its sometimes annoying to be pacing around for no good reason other than to calm him!

Good luck to you and to mirror what others are saying "this too shall pass"!

Cheers!
J.