Four month old has become MORE needy??

[saffrongirl]

I forget the stages at this point so I'm wondering if this seems normal. DD is 4 months old in about a week and it seems like over the last two weeks, she's become more and more needy. She will lay down and play or do tummy time for awhile as long as I'm right there, but if I walk away, my minutes are numbered. She's fine as long as I'm holding her - although she does seem to be increasingly fussy lately even when I AM holding her...She just used to "hang out" a bit more without needing to be picked up immediately.

Also, she seems to have suddenly become aware of mom vs. strangers. We went over to the in-laws' house this weekend and they were all looking at her in the car seat and she woke up and got frantic. Even after we took her out, she was really freaked out and not very happy when people were holding her. Then yesterday, I was out with a friend and he tried to hold her and she freaked out again, screaming as if she was hurt (she wasn't). She will let her dad hold her, but definitely would want me if given the choice.

I'm wondering if this could be teeth?? She doesn't have any bumps at the gumline yet but we've tried Hylands without much success. Could it be a growth spurt?? Is this normal?

[Icehockey18]

It might be teething.... Ds started doing the same thing with strangers at that age. Someone just had to look at him and he would freak!! (even in the moby) he's a bit better, now, but still won't let 'strangers' hold him. He holds on to me for dear life, even with my mil. I think it's just personality. He's a very serious baby, and must really evaluate the situiation before deciding if he likes it or not.
I would try hylands or something for the fussy-ness, but the not 'liking' others might just be a personality thing. I just tell others not to be offended if they make him cry, he's just a mama's boy

[LilaQ]

My baby will be 20 weeks on Monday and has been out of sorts for a few weeks. This week has been the worst. Googling around, I found this about the "Wonder Weeks" and the 19 week developmental leap. Here are a couple of good links explaining it:
http://cbfoley.com/2009/02/19/wonder-weeks/
http://blogginaboutbabies.wordpress....onder-week-19/
http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006...t_are_sle.html

and here is a chart that shows when to expect things to get ugly and then better.
http://www.thewonderweeks.com/images...info_chart.pdf

You calculate from due date and my son was 2 weeks early so we are smack in the "stormy" period. Anyway, there is a great explanation about what is going on developmentally and how you can help your baby thru this stage.

Would be curious to know if anyone else has had the same experience with the wonder weeks? Does it end when predicted?

[JMJ]

I don't think we experienced "wonder weeks," but DD has gone through phases of needing me more or less in her own timing. It's really not a linear progression from dependent to independent.

[Norasmomma]

We're in this due to a couple factors, teething for one and then definitely all those wonder weeks things for sure. My happy son has turned from happy go lucky to screaming in seconds. He is on a huge developmental growth spurt right now, plus a physical one.

[SoulCakes]

If my daughter is was indication, it's totally normal. It makes sense - older babes are more aware of their surroundings than they ever were before, they're more aware of who mama is and the fact that she's essentially their life-line, and they're responding to that. Before, strangers were all kind of identical, blurry masses, but now it's clear: They're not mama! Even mama wasn't in as high definition as she is to an older infant. Whereas before your daughter just needed you, know she KNOWS that she needs you, so whenever you go away or she's held by someone else, she screams bloody murder.

So, basically, I wouldn't worry about it. Totally normal development.