Clingy baby moms help me!!!

Question

my son is 6weeks and will not let me have one second..,..i mean i have to clean up and i know nothing is wrong he's fed burped etc. and i leave him to lay in his bassinet so i can quickly clean up but he cries and cries i can only leave him for not even more then 5mins i have to pick him up and he only ever wants me not his aunties uncles or even his own dad please what can i do i barely can even take a shower now a days because of it i don't want him to only be able to be soothed by me how is he gonna handle it when i need to take a shower etc and im by myself or even when he has to go to daycare my nephew grew up like that and is always attached to his mama's hip please helpful tips not sarcasm or anything negative

Answer 1

My sling and the moby wrap were life savers in those early days. I still use them all the time. It's completely normal for your baby to want to be held all the time at 6wks, all babies are the same that way. To get a shower in I had a travel size swing($5 off craigslist.com) and brought it into the bathroom with me. The sound of the shower and the movement of the swing usually kept him happy and sometimes put him to sleep.

Don't worry too much about keeping the house spotless or even making dinner every night. Everyone can live on frozen pizza and pb&j for a while. Your baby is only little for a short time and before you know it he won't want to be hugged and cuddled.

Answer 2

My youngest son is the same way.  I use a snugli (baby carrier) and that helps.  Other times, if I know he's been fed, changed, burped. etc., I just have to let him cry.

Answer 3

hi debbie, I feel the same way.  My little girl is very fussy now and very clingy. I love holding her and stuff and comforting her and there are somedays where i go all day without showering.  Im lucky though that my 7 year old son helps out a bit.  He uses a soother to help calm her down just for a few minutes while im doing a quick chore.  I also use the portable swing.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt.  Today i took a shower and put it right in front of the bathroom door and had my son leave his bedroom door open to let me know if something was going on.  My son kept putting her soother in her mouth when it fell out of her mouth. She ended up falling asleep and i got to takea shower and even do my face and hair!!  I started using the crib immediately.  I have the monitor on at all times.  I often nurse her and rock her for a bit and then put her down in the crib and shut off all the lights so that she knows its bedtime.  I know she is really little but im trying to train her this way.  She does pretty good surprisingly but she does wake up every 2-3 horus b/c im nursing her.  Im also supplementing with formula once daily (my bf does this) but im going to start giving her formula before she goes to bed so that i can get more sleep at night.  I will probably start this two weeks before i go back to work.  I have left her with my mother for a few hours one time and also wiht my boyfriend for a few hours too.  I also have my son hold her for about 10 minutes daily (with supervision).  This way she is getting used to otehr people.  I do let her cry sometimes too b/c I have to help my 7 yr old out with b'fast and other things (he has ADHD) and have no choice.  I hate to do this and i feel guilty but i dont have a choice sometimes.  I always make sure she is fed, changed and burped before leaving her to cry. I let her cry no more than 10 minutes at most if that.  I'll admit its not easy but she is my second child and time goes by so quickly. I know this is only a phase and in a few years she will be going ot school and i will look back and miss these first few months where they are so cuddly.  It does get better.

Answer 4

Two words: baby carrier. Find one you like, whether it's a front-style one or a sling, and wear him. Your son is not *clingy.* Six week olds don't have a concept of being clingy. He wants to be close to you, and he should be. He has needs other than physical ones. He wants love, comfort, and reassurance. The way he feels safest is when he's close to you. This is as much an adjustment for your baby as it is for you. Wearing him will free up your hands and allow him to be "held" by you. Good luck.

Answer 5

Someone should have told you about this. He's not being unreasonable, you're being unrealistic. This is what life is like with a small baby. You don't get anything done. Get a sling, then you may have a chance at getting some stuff done, but look at it as a bonus, not as an expected thing. The best thing to do is indulge him. Give him what he needs, and he'll feel secure enough to grow out of the phase. Get a little chair to prop him up in while you have your shower. He won't die or be traumatised forever if you take 5 mins to wash your hair. Otherwise, give him as much of what he needs as possible. Try not to think of "being attached to mama's hip" as being a negative thing. It's a normal thing and they get more clingy if you refuse them the attention, not less. He'll gradually allow other people into his little world. In a few months time, you'll be boring old mum and his dad will be the coolest person in the world :)

Answer 6

It's ok to leave him for ten or fifteen minutes while you get something done as long as you know he's fed, changed, and not in any danger. It's better to put him down and walk away than to hurt him in a moment of freaking out. Putting him down and walking away helps him learn to soothe himself and gain independence--especially if you're going to send him to daycare. This will help to prepare him for that transition. Leave him with aunts, uncles, or Daddy while you run errands, etc. so he gets used to other people. Chances are, after the second or third time without you, things will get much easier, as he'll be more used to it and he'll learn that you always come back. He probably cries with them there when you're around because he knows you'll cave and go to him, even though he's perfectly cared for by whoever's holding him in your presence.  

Answer 7

He is only 6 weeks. He still need mummy to comfort him. Feed him and put him sleep before you can do anything. Situation will change when he grow older. Normally 4 months above

Answer 8

I hate to mention this but i'll share my experience.  I have 4 children, 6, 4, 2 1/2, & 8 mos.  My 2nd child was always upset.  Come to find out around 3 mos of age that he had a milk protien allergy.  I had him at the Dr office 1-2 x per week because he had tiny flecks of blood in his stool & mucus.  Other than that he was perfectly normal physically.  I was breastfeeding & he was gaining weight just fine.  But untill he was put on Neutramagen formula he was a very unhappy little guy.  I would suggest talking to your pediatrician 1st.  He's a little young to be spoiled.  I just don't think you can spoil a baby that young.  They need something, even if it's comfort.  My son also benefitted from a homeopathic medicine called GripeWater.  I got it at Kroger.  I even use it on the older kids for upset stomachs.  He also benefited from being allowed to sleep in his car seat.  His head was slightly elevated so he didn't have so much acid reflux.  I just put it in the crib at night till he was about 4 mos old.  Good luck!

Answer 9

For a six week old baby this is totally normal. Your baby needs comfort from you and you shouldn't hold back. As your baby gets a little older you'll notice he'll let you out of his sight without screaming. It does get better and I know you want to raise your child to not be clingy, but now is not the time to worry about. I know you're exhausted and you want some time for yourself but your baby needs you. Take showers after you put him to bed at night. Let someone help you clean up around the house. Taking care of a new baby is a lot of work, but it gets better.  

Answer 10

my son was just like that....try to ease him away from you slowly he just clings to you because he feels really safe with you. this is because you cradled him alot when he was born and after try not to run to his every cry. i did that with my daughter and she was okay with me not tending to her every cry and wimper. I swear this sounds just like me and my son when he was that age. he will be okay if you don't tend to his every wimper.

Answer 11

It sounds like a normal baby to me. Not "clingy", he is an infant who has only been on this earth for a few weeks. He is helpless, insecure and totally unsure of himself and the world. It is actually a survival instict. Babies attach themselves to their primary caregiver, the one who feeds and cares for them and makes them feel safe and warm. I understand this must be kind of frustrating though. The sling is a very good way for you to be able to move around and carry things without holding him either. Sling him to your back. The only other option is to try a swing, see if that works, try to do it while he's sleeping, or just let him cry in his fathers arms or in his crib for a little while. I would not leave him more than 20 to 30 minutes screaming though.

Answer 12

I had this problem until I invested in a baby swing. what a life saver! my daughter loves that, and her Boppy chair because it vibrates and plays music. Also, for times when she just wants to be snuggled with mommy, a sling (I love the Moby Wrap) is so useful. you can wear the baby while getting housework done, and it puts them to sleep like magic. don't feel guilty if you need to take a shower for 10 minutes alone, its ok to put baby in the seat right outside the bathroom door.