When did ur angel newborn turn into a monster?

[skybie]

hi ladies...bit of a random one.
ATM miss Isabelle is an absolute dream baby, never fusses, just eats every four hours, burps, gets her bum changed and is happy to go back to sleep or just look around. i can even put the little mite to bed awake and she'll put herself to sleep!
so im wondering how long this fantastic child will be fantastic for?
did ur baby start off amazing then turn into a little monster?

[amberj]

Its great to hear your bubs is going so well- what a lovely introduction to motherhood! I wouldn't say DS ever turned into an irrevocable monster, but he goes through monster patches. I think all kids do. Things go great for a while, then you hit a speed bump and they go off kilter for a bit, and then it all comes good again. This seems to continue to happen all through childhood!

We didn't have quite so smooth a beginning as you, but once we got things a bit sorted (by about 6 weeks), things went really well for quite a while- then I think the first serious "monster" period we hit was at about 4 months or so- the so called "4 month sleep regression". Then he started to teeth and there are lots of teething monster periods!

Often babies go through a bit of an upheaval after around 4-6 weeks as they really wake up a bit more. That first month or so, they can be pretty sleepy and not quite as into the whole outside world thing. Then they start to get more and more aware and parents can get a bit of a shock!

Anyhow, the point is that your LO will not suddenly turn into a monster, but she will have bad periods. Its saved my sanity many times to repeat to myself "its just a phase, its just a phase"- and it always is, it passes and they are back to angels (well, sort of angels). You might get a bad period soon, or you might get one at around 6 weeks, or you might not get one until 4 months or even later. Hard to say as they are all so different! But you will go through it at some point- try not to be too thrown, its all just part of growing up and it will pass.

Congrats again on your lovely little angel!

[Vixstar]

Congrats!

Bailey was / is my text book baby, did everything on time for his age, rarely acts up and normally only when tired and has done that since a bub. Just has a melt down every now and then.

Noah.....on the otherhand.....has been 2 yrs old for 16 months! Meaning, he is 16 months old and has been *like a 2 yr old* since birth. My OBGYN even said how loud he was at birth! lol Having said that though, both my boys have slept through from 8 weeks (DS#1) and 6 weeks - DS#2!

Good luck with your little sweet girl. Don't look for the bad things to happen or they will. Concentrate and rejoice in the good moments and days!

xxxx

[Fleur]

Congrats on your dream baby

I had one too, Arlea was just beautiful in hospital & I wondered how long it would last.

happy surprise... apart from one fussy stage about 2-4 weeks she is still very cruisy, happy, doesn't cry much, goes off to sleep easily, doesn't suffer too much wind etc.
I think the 2-4 weeks period was her first wonder week, plus just adjusting to being home & settling in. Since then she has been great. it could stay like this for you too!

[butterfly_warrior]

Sam was a lot like that at first... When he was 8 weeks old we moved, and that spelled the end of being able to put him in the cot awake. Since then, we have had to cuddle him to sleep, but it's more that he likes to fall asleep in our arms rather than needing active input from us. He's a very laid back and cruisy kid and nothing much phases him at all. He does like things to be done in particular ways, but copes if we have to switch the routine up a bit. Like everyone else, we have the odd bad day, but some babies are just like that, and she may not change much at all. I have found that the main times I have trouble with Sam are when he's wanting more awake time, or wants to spend more time practicing walking/crawling than before. They find ways of letting you know what they want!

BW

[MamaPan]

so far my Jacob is very cruisey - much more so than Noah ever was...
I keep waiting for that to change and I hope it doesnt!
Noah was a pretty good bub but was more 'high maintenance' - he still doesnt pout himself to sleep LOL (and he is 2!).
I say every day they are this cruisey is a bonus... you cant pick to have a cruisey baby - but when you get one enjoy every minute they are like that (as we all knwo it can change)

[{sarah}]

Not all baby's turn into monsters

I had a so called "difficult baby" but I also had an "easy baby", so far so good, she is 16 months and we've only had 1-2 months in there of her being difficult (& not all in a row).

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

it can be common for babies to be fairly placid for a couple of weeks after birth. It could be getting over the birth, it could be sleeping off some drugs mum had in labour, it could be getting over the jaundice. Or just the adjustment to life. At about 1wk and 5 days parents are almost ready to open their mouths and claim that in fact, they have a "good sleeper" Then, around 2 weeks it all changes - and babies get into a more normal pattern. For a baby, going 4 hours between feeds is really unusal, except for possibly those first 2 weeks. Usually they are looking to be fed 8-12 times in 24 hours. It's a funny thing in our society, but everyone asks "are they a good baby" and you can just about feel the pat on the back when you can say they are - but we seem to completely overlook the fact that babies are biologically desinged to feed frequently and hang out with mum and dad - when they begin to follow this design they are often labelled "little monsters" They are not! Just par for the course. So, yes, don't expect this to last. But, no, she won't turn into a little monster.

[MamaPan]

maybe i should clarify - I dont think N was a 'monster' and J still feeds every 2 hrs or less.... but he is just easier to settle etc when he is upset...

[skybie]

thanks for the interesting replies girls.
DD1 was a screamer from day one and would have me up for hours every night and wouldnt sleep without being rocked, so i think i was expecting the same from Iz.
When i said monster, i didnt truley mean they're monsters, just not as easy as what Iz has been so far.
Im enjoying every minute of her but cant help but wonder when i put her down at night if its the end of our good sleeps!
perhaps she is just getting over the birth, she's had no jaundice and i didnt have any drugs during the birth.
i know she'll have her phases. Was just interested in seeing when ur bubs changed. Will keep my fingers crossed for a few more weeks of a cruisey baby

[Lulu]

I always say not to make a call before 3 weeks. Mine all 'woke up' about the 2.5 week mark then settled into whatever patterns they did - all different by the way.

[Santosha]

I wouldn't say my DD has altogether turned into a "little monster"... but I have seen a pretty big shift in her temperament. Mostly when she's awake, she's pretty happy and chatty but has just started getting frustrated with things much more quickly (ie. wanting to get a toy into her mouth but not being able to manipulate it so it fits!!) and will get upset more often if I leave her on the floor to play.

The thing that's really gone backwards though, is her sleep. From being a constantly-sleeping premmie - still feeding every 2-3 hrs, but then straight back to sleep overnight, to sleeping 10pm - 6am from 8 weeks... All of a sudden she's waking several times a night (usually quite happy, but wide awake and ready to play) and SCREAMS and gets completely hysterical when I try to put her down for day sleeps. Not to say this is going to happen to you at all Skybie... From watching the 8 bubs in my mother's group, some have remained very chilled out, some have 'improved' or settled down after a rough start, and some definately hit rough patches. I just latched on to something in amberj's reply and wanted to hijack your thread!!...

Amberj - what's the '4 month sleep regression'????? Tell me this is 'a phase', and that it's 'normal' PLEASE!

[Jennifer13]

My DD was a very placid newborn, turned into a very placid baby and is now a *fairly* easygoing toddler (she has her moments, altho her most frustrating thing is that she seems to operate in a parallel world where real time has no relevance).

So never.

[amberj]

Santosha- the 4 month sleep regression is just a period of time where sleeping patterns seem to go haywire for a while. It seems to be a common enough phenomenon amongst 4 month olds (ish). I can't recall exactly why it happens. It IS just a phase and it does pass. For us I think it took a few weeks.

[amberj]

skybie- sorry, I didn't even read your signature to see you had an older child as well, so I answered as if this was your first- I feel like a bit of an idiot now! Sorry if I sounded condescending or anything!

[Arcadia]

DD was a very placid baby until about 4 weeks, and then she would be an angel all day but scream her head off every evening. But that passed by about 10 weeks.

She is a very calm, contented baby, but she is getting very stubborn as time goes on and if she doesn't want to feed/sleep/play, boy do i hear it!

Enjoy these early days with your new bubba...they go so quickly in hindsight!

[skybie]

skybie- sorry, I didn't even read your signature to see you had an older child as well, so I answered as if this was your first- I feel like a bit of an idiot now! Sorry if I sounded condescending or anything!

All good hun i figured u thought she was my first.

i like the term placid, thats definetly how i'd describe her at the moment

[Glamourcide]

I think it depends on the baby's temperament, too. For some reason I remember Munchkin being an absolute monster once those first 4 weeks (you know, when they sleep, wake up for a feed and go back to sleep?) were over... I'm sure she probably wasn't *that* bad, I was just overwhelmed by the adjustment to being a mum...
Squirtle though seems to be much more placid in nature, sure she can throw a tantrum just as good as her big sister but she's easier to settle, loses her temper far less frequently and just generally seems to be an 'easier' or 'better' baby than what Munchie was.

That being said, babies are great - it's the terrible twos that have me pulling my hair out right now!! I can't WAIT until this little stage is over!