Social Development

[Darryen]

He will smile one day right? I mean I know he will... but gah its hard. We have not had the easiest first 6 weeks and everyone keeps asking if he is smiling yet. Nope! Not one smile. He also doesn't coo or even really notice DH or I. He focuses well on us and looks over when we talk to him so his eyes and ears are fine but he doesn't acknowledge us at all. He wakes up, cries to be fed, eats, cries when I diaper him, falls asleep, then wakes up and it hungry again. We try reading to him and playing with him but he has no interest in it at all. This will change right? What if he gets to 3 or 4 months old without smiling yet? He is very well physically developed and the Dr said they usually develop more in one area at a time but every e-mail from the hospital and call from home wants to know if he's smiling yet. Its frustrating. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't like me because he spends a lot of time in his car seat when I take DH to and from work. By the time DH and I have cuddle and play time he just wants to go to bed. I know he is probably too young to dislike me... but I still feel like he does. He's not happy to see either of us like other 6 week old babies were when I worked in daycare. Maybe its because we are the only people he interacts with? He doesn't go to daycare and we have no friends up here yet to watch or hold him even.

This is just my PPD talking huh?

[frontierpsych]

he will smile, probably sooner rather than later.

There will always be *something* that people will ask about that your baby isn't doing (sleeping through the nights, eating solids, weighing X amount, walking, etc), don't let it discourage you!

[texaspeach]

[MamieCole]

He will smile.

DS1 was just like that. He was such a serious newborn. I remember wondering "Why doesn't he like me?" more than once.

Then he got a little older and did start smiling, but only occasionally. He was several months old before he began smiling regularly.

Now he is a super happy, totally engaging 3 year old. You'd never know he was such a grumpy baby.

Hang in there!

[Siennaflower]

Dd is 9 weeks and only really started giving me eye contact and some smiles here and there in the last two weeks. I was a little worried about it too, but she did it in her own time. I'm sure your little one will, too.

[Pandme]

He's 6 weeks old, you have nothing to worry about. He sounds totally normal.

[Hoopin' Mama]

He'll smile, quite soon I bet.
I'd also bet money you are his sun and his moon and his whole world. I think he likes you.

Ds spent most of his first 18 months with his brow furrowed. I remember when all the other babies were smiling and waving bye-bye, ds just looked at everyone with a great deal of suspicion.

Update us with the experience of the first beautiful smile.

[BlueWolf]

My DD was stingy on the smiles too. She's 6 months old now and sometimes you really have to work for that smile. She's a fuss, but I love her. Her smiles are usually accompanies by these deep belly laughs, so it's worth the wait and effort.

[Conifer]

My ds is about to be 12 weeks old and I remember feeling this way at 6 weeks. This is my 3rd and I just felt like I didn't know him at all. He didn't seem to care who was holding him. The only reason I was different is that I provided the food LOL! Well let me tell you...babies really change from week to week at this age. It was only another week later that he started smiling. They were few and far between for the first week and now he smiles all the time!!! I can't believe I was ever worried about it. It gets a heck of a lot easier to be a mom when you finally get that goofy grin! Makes all those sleepless nights worth it. So for the moment, I wouldn't worry. Give it a couple more weeks and I bet you'll see a big difference in the way your baby reacts to the world.

[tracymom1]

DS was a very serious little baby. He did not really smile until he was about 3 months old. He did not engage with us until much later - never really reached for toys or react much to our attempts at entertaining him. DD, however, is the complete opposite. She has been laughing and playing (also shrieking and crying) like crazy since she was brand new.

Every baby is different! He will smile and laugh... sometimes it just takes a little time. Hang in there, Mama. It will get fun, I promise!

[Critty]

DD didn't smile until about 8 weeks and a that point she would only smile at our blinds and various pieces of furniture (she was particularly fond of an Ikea bookcase!). By 12 weeks we were getting tons of smiles and now she is almost 8 months, we get giggles and everything.

[Darryen]

Thanks everyone! I feel so much better. He gave us 10 mins of calm today that was amazing! He's not a fussy baby but he is either, sleeping, eating, or getting a diaper change or bath (to which he screams). It was nice to see him awake, alert, not crying or eating! Poor thing is having tummy aches today. Spitting up a lot and had it come out the nose earlier when he got really upset.

[hartfelt]

hugs mama. he'll smile and it sounds like you are stellar parents!

[Darryen]

Originally Posted by hartfelt

hugs mama. he'll smile and it sounds like you are stellar parents!

We're trying. I have about 15 years of childcare experience... but when its our own... its very different! DH has NO experience with children and there are def. things he does much better than I do. He's more fluid and calm with his parenting whereas I find myself feeding and changing Cody like he's just another kid at the daycare when I'm tired or frustrated.

[Darryen]

The LO did do something yesterday that I have NEVER seen a baby do... he spit up and it came out his mouth AND nose! Poor little thing was shocked at first and then I am guessing felt the burn because he was scared as could be and screaming. It took us a while to clean him up and calm him down again. I hope that never happens again...

[bumblecat]

Originally Posted by Darryen

The LO did do something yesterday that I have NEVER seen a baby do... he spit up and it came out his mouth AND nose! Poor little thing was shocked at first and then I am guessing felt the burn because he was scared as could be and screaming. It took us a while to clean him up and calm him down again. I hope that never happens again...

I have a 3mo and this is almost always how it is with her unless she only spits a pretty small amount. It does scare her as well and she cries but only for a moment - usually just as long as it takes me to clean her face off and lay her down to undress her. Luckily she is not spitting up often anymore - maybe a few times a week. It was about once or twice a day for the first couple months.

[Darryen]

The first time he spit up was one week ago and he's done maybe 5 times since then? I hope it doesn't become a pattern. He has been spitting every night these last few nights. I say spitting because I am not sure it ifs spit up or if he isn't swallowing that last gulp. I feed him and when I sit him up to go change him several minutes later it dribbles out his mouth and sometimes looks like some he didn't swallow and sometimes its a bit chunky like spit up... Idk. I'm keeping an eye on it but it was just a shock seeing it come out his nose. I've also never seen a baby spit up in his sleep which is weird given the amount of time I've spent with little ones. You'd think I'd have seen it at least once.

[Xerxella]

Sounds like my first born. He didn't smile til 10 weeks. I remember asking my mom when do babies start doing "something?" But it all comes along. He'll start "waking up" soon and you'll realize there's this whole personality in there. Every baby was really different. With my 2nd I was shocked when she started smiling at 3 weeks. I thought she was a genious! Nah, just diffferent.