Feel awful

Really struggling at the moment and I don’t know what to do. Having a baby is everything I’ve ever dreamed of and having loads of nieces and nephews I felt so prepared but I don’t know if my baby is just difficult but I’m really not enjoying being a mum. Don’t get me wrong, I love my baby to bits but she’s just miserable all the time and I’m worried that it’s my fault and that I’m doing something wrong. I see all these other mums on Instagram/facebook/here going out and about and doing loads with a smiling, content baby and like they’ve got it all together and I just haven’t. My baby wakes up, I play with her with her countless sensory toys, we do tummy time (which she doesn’t particularly like so not for long), I talk to her, sing songs to her and then change, feed and burp her and after all this she just whinges. It’s a nightmare trying to get her to nap and she gets so overtired she has screaming fits which are awful - shes often inconsolable and screams so much I think she’s going to make herself sick. Her screams actually break my heart, I’ve never heard anything like it. Surely that’s not normal? Even on a good day when she does have a nap, she still wakes up and we get 5 minutes of smiles before she’s back to being grumpy. What am I doing wrong? She just seems so unhappy. Can’t help but feeling like she’d be so much better off without me. Maybe I’m just not cut out to be a mum even though it’s all I’ve ever wanted.

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I completely get this! My little one is pretty hard work and as much as I adore her and she’s everything I wanted I can’t help but feel robbed that I can’t enjoy my maternity leave or the little stage were they are ment to be easy! It’s hard but we have got this! ❤️

I promise you are doing nothing wrong and I’m so sorry you’re going through this! It sounds similar to my first - he basically screamed and cried the first 6 months of life. I cried SO much it was honestly just a horrible way to live. I would constantly compare myself to the mums around me who seemed to genuinely be enjoying themselves. Fast forward to baby number 2 - wow do I feel validated for how I felt with him. She is an absolute angel and I’m now getting to experience what everyone else around me was experiencing last time. They’re not giving you a hard time they’re having a hard time - crying is the only way they can communicate and some just have a harder time than others. For mine it was tummy issues and then early teething. But just know you’re doing everything right and it does get better with time ❤️ My toddler is still a sensitive little soul and struggles with some things, but he’s also the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet. This tough bit will pass faster than you know

My baby is exactly the same, you are not alone! X

I am sorry you're feeling this way, some babies are simply easier than other. You are doing great! Please do not compare your baby to anything you see on social media, most of the times they get one good moment snapped before the crying comes in. If your baby is crying constantly for more than 3 hours, 3 days you might want to get them checked. We had this with our baby only to discover she was lactose intolerant, since we've changed the milk she's been whole new baby.

Please know you’re not alone. I love my baby boy to bits and he’s all I ever wished for, but he has colic and screams and cries so much even at four months old. This has stopped me being able to do any kind of exercise classes where you bring your baby along, and until recently I couldn’t even go into a cafe with him and could only walk him in the buggy which kept him soothed on good days. Things are now slowly improving but it is a very hard time, specially when most of my Mum friends have been able to do so much with their babies, but this time will pass and all too soon I’m sure things will get easier for us ❤️

I'm so sorry you're feeling this way, it's completely understandable - as mums the first thing we do is question ourselves. But what you're describing sounds like nothing other than an incredibly attentive, loving mother who is doing everything she can! As others have said, all babies are different- in both temperament (which can be expressed differently & become easier as they grow/can move etc) and physically in what they go through. My first suffered with tummy issues & food allergies (which we only worked out later) and cried so much in the first few months, and at night for the first 2 years, it was exhausting & hard and I constantly questioned myself. My second is very chilled & hardly cries - they couldn't be more different! The biggest lesson I've learnt is that they are their own little person with their own personality & experience, and there is only so much we can control. You are enough and always will be enough when you show up with love & care for them ❤️ Things will change with time xx

Aw I can relate to this so much my first baby was such a dream and so easy she never cried and I could go anywhere with her! My second baby is a right fuss pot his much better now his 20 weeks but up until about 14 weeks all he did was cry! Looking back I think he just needed more sleep than most babies as he was always overtired. I use the huckleberry app which I find soooo helpful and stops him from getting overtired might be worth a try if your baby needs more sleep like mine. But please don’t be too hard on yourself some babies are just fussy but they grow out of it! Literally it will be like one day they just wake up happy…. But then something else like a tooth will come through 😂😂 you got this mamma you sound like you’re doing a great job!

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