Does your baby act differently when your partner is gone?

[Addie]

We have a five-month-old, and DH travels now and then for work. Every time he goes away, I swear DS has more trouble sleeping and is a little grumpier in general. The first time it happened I chalked it up to a growth spurt, but this is the third time! DH has been gone for a week.

Has anyone else noticed this with their LO? Am I just making it up?

[maptome]

For sure DD acts differently when DH is not here. Sometimes I'll complain about how she's so fussy and grumpy, but when DH comes home, all smiles for him.

[j_p_i]

Yes, my DH is a full time student and then works an overnight weekend shift. DD gets SO excited when he is around, she just loves to be awake and play with him that it's difficult to get her to nap or to bed at night. When he works overnights, she goes to bed quite easily and stays asleep until I go into bed with her, several hours later. It's never that easy when he is here, for some reason. It's so cute that she loves being around him so much that she doesn't want to go to sleep, but the nights he is gone are also nice because I can actually get some "me" time.

[lovepiggie]

I think part of it is that parenting is often easier with a second pair of hands. I'm never quite sure if DS is less fussy when his dad is around, or if I just don't notice it as much because there is someone there to play with him if I start to fade.

[dahlialia]

with DD1, my DH wasn't away until she was 10 months old. He went just for a long weekend. DD1 did ok throughout the day, but in the evenings she just would not settle. Finally in desperation I pulled up a photo of DH on the laptop. She happily sat next to "him", played and babbled for a little bit, then went to bed ok.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by lovepiggie

I think part of it is that parenting is often easier with a second pair of hands. I'm never quite sure if DS is less fussy when his dad is around, or if I just don't notice it as much because there is someone there to play with him if I start to fade.

Yes, I think this is definitely part of it, too.

[emmalizz]

.

[Friendlee]

YES! This is my first child and I have been really warmed by the fact that when mommy and daddy are together, she is just the giggliest, jolliest most charming thing on earth. It does make sense that 2 pairs of hands makes everybody feel breezier. But it's even more than that...she just seems to feel good inside when we're all together. A few years ago I noticed the same thing with our puppy. There's some feeling of security that comes with the intactness one feels when they are in between their loving parents I guess.

[Addie]

Alright, I'm convinced. The whole week that DH was gone, I had trouble getting DS down for the night - he was waking 3-4 times before midnight, then he'd sleep until waking to eat. DH came home yesterday, and DS woke up once about 30 minutes after I put him down. DH went up and settled him in about 3 minutes (when it had been taking me much longer), and then the little stinker slept soundly until his middle-of-the-night feeding! I obviously need to work on sabotaging DH's next trip.

[texmati]

DH has never been gone as in out of town-- but just yesterday DS wailed and wailed because papa left the room.