4.5mth old hates anything social

[FionaS]

My 4.5mth old daughter has always been sensitive / unsettled.  From 3 to 7 weeks she barely did 20min naps .  After that she was a 40min napper but we managed to extend them to 1.5 or 2 hours for a month (she is now back to 1 hour naps but I assume it is developmental).   She has always been grizzly and always cried frantically through any outings (car / pushchair / visiting).   I figured it was because she was tired and had an underdeveloped nervous system.  She is on losec for minor reflux and I beleive it is very under control.  Everyone told me things would get better around 3/4 months but things are still tough.  She is ok with walks most of the time, providing we don't do anything like stopping for a coffee midway through.  Say I get her up, feed her and take to to a friends place 5mins away, she will grizzle from the momemt we get there and continue until she is full on crying.  Any ideas why she is so sensitive?  She even cries if we sneeze and startles if I even yawn during feeding!! Do you think she will get better with outings or do you think there is something wrong with her? I haven't met anyone with a baby who is anywhere near as sensitive so I'm starting to worry.

[wfabby]

I was right there with you as well.  My lo is 11 months and still startles easily at sneezing, coughing, etc.  He was much worse when younger!  We finally got him a portable dvd player at 4 months for the car so I could play his Baby Einstein and (during times of trouble) was the only thing to calm him.  He is actually a wonderful, happy baby, but still likes it his way, calm and quiet.  He no longer stresses when we go places, as long as his father or I am right there and ready to scoop him up!

[FionaS]

Wow!  It is soooooooo good to find some people who understand.  I was start to feel (though my head told me otherwise) that I was the only one with a baby like this!  Yes, she is a cross between grumpy & touchy I think.  She was on losec for suspected reflux but our GP doesn't think she does have reflux so wants us to stop it so heres hoping she's right...I'd hate for things to get worse.  At approx what age did things get more managable?  Also, approx when did your lo sleep through the night...does their temperament still cause them to wake?  I'm presume almost all touchy babies are light sleepers...

[FionaS]

DD doesn't do a dreamfeed - it never worked for her.  If I feed her between 10 & 11 she wakes at 2.  If I leave her last feed at 6.30 she'll sleep through until 4am!  This 10hour sleep is a new development though and she will sometimes wake closer to 3 and sometimes closer to 5.  I agree the pain issue is a huge Q when it comes to temperament etc...it's just such a shame babies can't tell us in words what is going on. Today's our first day without losec so here's hoping it goes ok.

[calebs mommy]

Just wanted to pop in and say I have a touchy one too.  He is 10 months old and isn't nearly as sensitive as he was when he was under 6 months.  I think once he became more aware of his surroundings and learned more about his world, he wasn't as sensitive to every sound.  He still cries when he hears another baby cry or if we are in a new environment he startles and cries easier than when are at home.  Like Stacy said, if he is tired everything is worse.  It does get better though.  Hang in there.  You are not alone.

[FionaS]

We went to my mothers today, it was just the three of us there but my lo decided to scream the whole time.  She had only been up for 30mins, was fine until we entered the house but immediately lost the plot.  Nothing worked to consol her.  She fell asleep in the car on the way home and was fine by the time we reached home.  Does that sound typical for a touchy baby?  This evening she was fine again until my husband came home.  She is usually excited to see him but today burst into tears everytime she looked at him!  Wierd?!