"I've never known a baby like it. She never stops moving!"

[mrsraggle]

This is what a nursery nurse said to me today whilst Ellie was in a creche and I was on a first aid course (same building).

She was there for 2.5hours but was due a nap and at 11am I peeked through the window and could see they had popped her down in the pram and left her to get to sleep. Ellie is a high need baby when it comes to sleep and at home we walk her to sleep in a darkened room so I knew it was going to be tough for them. Especially as this is the first time she was left with anyone but my husband. She wasn't upset and someone kept checking on her and pushing the pram every now and then. They had reassured me that they would come and get me if she got distressed. So I decided to leave them to it, afterall Ellie starts nursery next weeks and needs to learn to sleep for other people.

ANYWAY, after the course I went to the creche to collect her. And the poor lady tasked with getting Ellie to sleep looked exasperated, Ellie had just got to sleep and she greeted me with "I've never known a baby like it. She never stops moving!". This is very true, since she was ~8 weeks old she spends 99% of the day moving, even when drinking a bottle she cuddles up but keeps at least one leg jiggling at all times. My mum says I was lively but not to the extent that Ellie is... I laughed it off at the time (secretly seething that the 8 month old boy's mum was being praised for how easily her LO got to sleep - "just popped him on the pillow, and off he went!"). But since I've got home it's bothered me a little bit - is Ellie TOO lively?

So basically, after all that, I want to know if there are other mummies with babies that are lively, exceptionally lively i.e. never ever cuddle, never sit down, never calm unless they're asleep? I'm not exaggerating with Ellie, she never stops, even when we're walking her to sleep, sometimes I have to pin her legs against my body so they can't move and she can concentrate on going to sleep - she usually replaces the moving with a groan instead!

Or is Ellie unusual?!

 

[louandivy]

Ivy is not one for sitting still and cuddling. If I sit her down she starts waving her arms maniacally until I take her hands and let her stand up, then she proceeds to wiggle around doing a very amusing little dance Never thought it was anything to worry about though, its just very tiring for us!

 

[mrsthomas623]

Nolan!! Even in his sleep he never stops moving. My MIL is always stunned that not even when he takes a bottle will he be still. Constantly playing with his feet or rolling around He does not really cuddle (unless teething), he looks like he is going in for a cuddle, but he just uses people to help him stand up.

DH and I figure he is just afraid he is going to miss something and is just very curious about everything.

 

[fifie123]

Emily used to but now she won't stop, she never cuddles never sits down, always crawling or in her walker, very hands on picks up everything in sight, but saying this up until 6 months she was the most placid baby ever then she suddenly got a spurt of energy

 

[Tangrang]

I don't think she is unusual (she's gorgeous BTW, lovely pics in your signature), I just think all babies are different some will drop off instantly others take much longer. My nephew was like your daughter and always needed lots of rocking to go to sleep, and in fact barely slept at all in the day. He is now a lovely 4 year old and no more lively than any of his peers. I wouldn't worry as this is obviously just part of her individual personality. My son, Alexander although much younger than your daughter is pretty lively too and doesn't sleep much in the day at all either so he may be a challenge when it comes to him going to nursery in June (I just let him nap if he needs to on his playmat - but no set times as he just doesn't sleep much).

Although no direct experience, Hope this helps reassure a little.

 

[mrsraggle]

Thanks all! I wasn't bothered at the time but then I thought to myself, "Wow, she must've been bad for a nursery nurse to comment that she'd never seen a baby like her". And she was in her 40s so I made an assumption that she's experienced too.

Good to know I'm not alone!

 

[kirstylm]

My mum says this about our little Eva all the time! Lol! Bionic babies!!!!!

 

[BunnyFace]

Sounds just like my Eloise! She even wiggles in her sleep

 

[lauram22]

My ds is exactly the same, always on the move, kicking, rolling n now crawling 24/7!! Even having a bottle both his legs r going like some sort of swimming butterfly stroke!! He is VERY difficult to get to sleep, this sounds awful but sometimes I literally hold him with his arms n legs trapped.... Ur not alone hun xx

 

[Vinushka]

I'd be more worried if my baby was placid I love my crazy likkle guy and his wriggling. Makes nappy changing a real challenge.

 

[mrsraggle]

My ds is exactly the same, always on the move, kicking, rolling n now crawling 24/7!! Even having a bottle both his legs r going like some sort of swimming butterfly stroke!! He is VERY difficult to get to sleep, this sounds awful but sometimes I literally hold him with his arms n legs trapped.... Ur not alone hun xx

Just like Ellie!

So glad she's normal. Nursery nurse had me thinking I had a nutter!!

 

[Seity]

Gabriel is always moving. Kicks his legs and moves his arms while eating. Even when I put him down in the crib to sleep he's kicking his leg. He moves about in the crib while asleep too (My OH says I move a lot in my sleep and that he must get it from me). He never stopped trying to crawl until he got it to work and then immediately went to trying to stand and walk. He only learned how to sit at 10 months because he needed to figure out how to get down from standing.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby is never still either...never has been! Even when she was tiny it was a bit of a joke at our NCT meetups how wriggly Ruby was!

 

[icy1975]

Lucy is a wiggler, she keeps herself awake by jiggling her legs, sometimes we have to gently hold them down so she can settle, she won't sit and cuddle even when she's really tired she'll try and jump up and down to keep herself awake. As soon as you put her down on her play mat she'll roll on to her tummy, and she's constantly moving herself around even though she can't crawl she finds a way of moving herself. I honestly wouldn't worry!

 

[Miss_Bump]

The only time Evie is still is when she is asleep lol

Even when I was pregnant she was moving

She does the river dance when I feed her, her feet don't stop and she is just itching to move and when I put her down she doesn't go anywhere and just eats the carpet lol

Even when she eats she does 'spirit fingers'
xx

 

[marie73]

My lo is just the same at 3 months old! She's been like it for as long as I can remember! Her legs are constantly on the go but she can self settle. She also looks round all the time and gets distracted if you try to feed her when there are other things going on!! Nosey like me obviously or just naturally inquisitive!!

 

[Mrs Mayhem]

Yep, Holly is a mover
Her arms and legs are always on the go, she never stops unless she is sleeping and even then she still wriggles a fair bit!! She also needs 'walking' to sleep and screams and wriggles if you dare stop or sit!!!

 

[LankyDoodle]

Hi MrsRaggle,
Yes Isabella is much the same as Ellie. She is a constant mover and has always been hyper-alert and mobile from very early on. I can remember her being about 5 weeks old, sat on my knee looking round a room excitedly, but since then I've seen other 5 week olds still curled up like newborns! I've had comments about how active she is.

Sometimes I worry about it and wonder why it might be; but then I remember we are all different. I am quite a fidgety person and so is my husband, but my brother is a bit of a slob! I just think it's different babies have different needs and display different behaviours.

Try not to worry.

 

[NaturalMomma]

ds1 was the same way. He is almost 4 now and has ADHD and sensory processing disorder.

 

[SaffronSkye]

People keep saying we're in for a nightmare once Skye starts walking/ talking. She's been wanting to stand constantly since she was 10 weeks and we struggle to keep weight on her as she just works it off. Nobody but me can get her to nap and it still takes hours sometimes, I have to hold her arms down pretty hard. (she's 5 months btw)