Need Help-LO wants nothing to do with ANYONE

Marsupial1022

Over the past 2-3 weeks, DD has gotten to the point where she will scream like she's being skinned alive if anyone other than me holds her. DH can't even hold her without her having a major meltdown, and my heart just breaks for him because he wants to hold and play with her so badly.

I'm a SAHM since I can run my business from home (I giving riding lessons and train horses), and my husband works Monday-Thursday (sometimes Friday depending on the weather) from 6:30am-6pm doing construction, so she only sees him for four hours a night during the week and then all weekend. I try to encourage as much "daddy time" as I can with her, but I'm completely at a loss as to what to do at this point. The only way that she'll calm down is when she's handed back to me, and she's back to her happy, smiley self like nothing ever happened.

Is this normal? And what can I do to get her to be able to enjoy being with her daddy while I'm busy? He's tried singing, walking around the house, playing with her on her mat, reading to her with those touch & feel books (which she normally loves)...am I missing something? I'd love for other family members to be able to hold and play with her, but that doesn't look like it's happening any time soon.

Thanks in advance!

Alicia_22

We went through this several weeks ago. It lasted a few weeks but seems to be better now. She wouldn't let anyone else hold her there for a while if I was in the room (and she saw me). Will she let him hold her if you are not there??? Maybe you could leave the room and that would help??? If not, hopefully it won't last long.

Marsupial1022

Alicia_22:

We went through this several weeks ago. It lasted a few weeks but seems to be better now. She wouldn't let anyone else hold her there for a while if I was in the room (and she saw me). Will she let him hold her if you are not there??? Maybe you could leave the room and that would help??? If not, hopefully it won't last long.

She only screams louder if I leave the room. I can actually hear her howling from the pasture where I work the horses and give lessons. And I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't last long.

riverbed

DS went through this for a few days, I just calmed him down and gave him back, it helped that DH had the bottle. DH does bedtime routine every night, so I think that helps him always associate Daddy with sleep and food, instead of just someone I hand him off to a few nights a week. I still BF the rest of the time but I pump a bottle so DH can spend that time with him.

mesmom2011

Will she take a bottle of breastmilk?  We started this at about 5 weeks with my LO.  She and her daddy bonded over the bottles.  He's actually a SAHD now, and they get along great.  She used to be the same way as your LO.

Marsupial1022

mesmom2011:

Will she take a bottle of breastmilk?  We started this at about 5 weeks with my LO.  She and her daddy bonded over the bottles.  He's actually a SAHD now, and they get along great.  She used to be the same way as your LO.

Sometimes she'll calm down long enough for him to give her a bottle, but she loses her mind again the moment it's empty. I EBF, so getting her to take the bottle is very hit or miss (we use the First Years Breastflow bottles), and she won't take a paci.

I'm starting to notice that she's normally okay with him holding her in the mornings, and she'll be content for about 1-3 hours...but the afternoons and evenings? Forget it. She just won't tolerate anyone else holding her but me.

mesmom2011

My next suggestion was going to be to stuff the pacifier in her mouth as soon as she empties the bottle, but that won't help you.  My LO seemed to get better about this at around 4 months. . . Hopefully things will get better with time.  At least you are able to SAH.

kc192

I don't have a lot of advice but I just wanted to comment that I also teach riding lessons and train horses! (although, the training horses part hasn't been the forefront of my job lately...)

Snapdragon750

If it makes you feel any better, I HATED my dad as a baby (meaning I would let anyone hold me, but if I so much as saw his face I'd cry), but later was a total daddy's girl.  Now I love my dad and am much close with him than I am my mom. 

Hang in there!