Restless, squirmy LO

SoSayWeAll

My LO has been a lot more alert the last few days. I don't know what to do with him a lot of the time. When he is awake he is very alert and is really restless. I try to feed him and he breastfeeds well if he is hungry, but sometimes he acts hungry and then I put him on the breast and he latches very painfully and squirms around and then keeps latching/unlatching. It's just hard to know what to do with him during those times. I try to have him look at a high contrast book, read to him, put him in his swing, and do tummy time, but he typically only lasts about 10 min at any of those. He doesn't take a paci very well, but is getting a bit better. He doesn't really like the Ergo unless he is sleepy. Does anyone have any other ideas on things I can do with my LO when he is awake?

BeachM

Stick him in the bouncy seat and narrate your chores. It's totally ok not to actively entertain him and just talk about what you are doing. We have "stations" that we move to around the house.

SoSayWeAll

@flip_flops‌ Do you recommend a good bouncy seat? I actually don't have one for him and maybe that's what I'm missing.

FrodaBaggins

I can sympathize here! Especially today, we had a tough day and he didn't nap all morning/afternoon until finally going down around 2 pm. The other thing my LO likes is the Moby wrap - I think he likes it better than the Ergo. I just suck at tying it, but when my husband is home and the little guy is fussy with all needs met, my husband will tie him up in that thing and it works wonders!

BeachM

We have a Fisher Price aquarium seat from 2010. It vibrates which he seems to like. I basically just move him around the house where DS1 and I are (not always in the seat).

When DS1 was a baby I'd have him in the kitchen with me while I did stuff and then I'd just sort of move him around to whatever room I was in. If I was putting away laundry in his room I'd put him on the playmat and talk to him while I was folding. You know, silly stuff like "this is your blue shirt, I'm putting it away!". Honestly I felt like an idiot.

Ours is similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ENVHR7Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1410307909&sr=8-1#

Allison7

My LO is also a bit more awake these days, too. She is starting to really look at things, so she looks at the lights and things hanging from the toy bar on her bouncy seat. We have the fisher price rainforest one. She is also entertained by her mobile, but the second it stops moving and playing music she is not so happy. I will also second the moby wrap. I have an ergo, but I haven't tried it because I don't have the infant insert. But LO loves doing chores with me in the moby and having both arms makes me happy!

BeachM

Oh and I find that the ceiling fan or a random wall becomes their best friend at this age. LO loves to "talk " to the bookcases behind our couch. With DS1 it was the curtains in our bedroom. We'd get a good hour out of them lying nearby their "friend" or looking over our shoulders.

SoSayWeAll

Good tips I may have to pick up a Moby and a bouncy seat

FrodaBaggins

flip_flops said:

Oh and I find that the ceiling fan or a random wall becomes their best friend at this age. LO loves to "talk " to the bookcases behind our couch. With DS1 it was the curtains in our bedroom. We'd get a good hour out of them lying nearby their "friend" or looking over our shoulders.

@flip_flops I have to agree with this, I love it! Right now LO is lying in his pack and play talking to a book that I have opened up to a particularly colorful page and propped up against the side of the PNP. I also cracked the window, since he loves the light. 

shevaCC

We have a bouncy seat downstairs and a RnP upstairs for the times I'm doing stuff and not holding DS. I also have several carriers but he doesn't always want to be held and sometimes my back needs a break. I will look at him and talk to him for a portion of the time but sometimes just let him stare off into space too.

sharkmama39

The bouncy is our best friend. I put LO in it and none get around with me, telling her about what I'm doing, singing songs, asking her about her day(and responding for her) it's weird sometimes but I want to make sure she gets exposure to language to help her develop.