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<<< From: "Kim J. Flowers" <kim@...>
Subject: Couple mommy questions....
<<For the last few weeks, Conner (12 months old) has been so incredibly
clingy
that if I am not holding him or sitting on the floor with him he screams. I
can't get anything done. Also, if one of the other boys sits in my lap he
screams and tears and pulls their hair and skin until they get up. I cannot
even read a book sitting by him or he will scream and climb on me until I
put it down. Even if one of the other boys touches one of his toys he
screams bloody murder until they stop touching it. >>>
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I would say at 12mo it's just a stage OR he's not feeling well. Sorta
learning his place OR he may be ill like it seems half the country was over the
holiday. If you do happen to speak to the other boys about being careful near
the baby try to do it so the baby doesn't pick up the signals.
He's only 12 months and he is still an infant. Maybe he is teething or has
gas. I have a 22 mo old BF'ing lil guy who has been doing the same and I"know"
he is sick bc he sleeps next to me. One night he ran a nasty fever but since
then he has been gassy ,clingy and grumpy.
I would try to work through it with him and explain to your other boys that
he is not feeling well or needs mommy right now. Which ever you feel it is...
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<<Conner will NOT use a sippy cup, straw cup or anything else. We have tried
several different brands. I don't want to take his bottle away, but I would
like him to use a cup during awake times. Suggestions? I do eventually want
to wean him off his bottle, but I have to get him to take a cup first! He
simply won't do it and I don't want to force him or anything. I guess I was
just hoping he would want to use a cup.Kim Flowers>>
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Kim,

After 4 kids I learned its best to wait until the child is ready. Pushing
stuff can actually suppress and delay. You say you have older boys. I suspect
they are using sippys. If so then all you need to do is wait. Your lil 12 mo
old with begin to want their cups and when he does that is your cue. Like
unschooling waiting for your cue goes further than keeping up with June Cleaver
at the playground or toddler group. People like that won't be unschooling so
you may want to look around now. Maybe I am wrong maybe you pediatrician
suggested it. Ignore it.

I have a 3 yr old who still loves his bottle. Honestly I think it's bc I
stopped BF'ing too soon. I thought he wanted to stop but I have learned with my
4th that there are certain weeks that Bf'ing slows I took that as weaning.
Darn.... There is a need and clinging to you is getting him through it.

Anyway, I wonder what meds caused you to stop BF'ing. I know it's not for
this list but I'll just say this in the event you have another. There are many
options to stopping BF'ing for meds. I was told countless times to stop
BF'ing to take BP meds and cholesterol lowering drugs. No one told me that BF'ing
and diet changes was just as good if not better overall for myself and my
baby.
I can't think of a group that I can suggest other than a pregnancy group
that supports a parents choice to continue a bottle after 12 months. Many are
mainstream and welcoming to all.
You can look at it this way... The longer your child is on the baba the more
milk he will get. So you know... sippy cups are just as damaging (actually
more) to the teeth. Resting teeth on a nipple is better for the teeth than on a
plastic cup. Look at the cups you'll see the teeth marks.

Laura
http://www.geocities.com/southernmaineunschoolers/index.html

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Kim - I know Sandra has already brought this up, but I really think you need to have this kid looked at by your family doctor. Take your baby in and tell your doc that this is not normal for this kid. Something is up! And he needs to be seen by someone who is going to check him over top to bottom. Any decent doctor is going to take that very seriously.
I can even relate a similar episode when my ds was a toddler. He started pitching a fit when his little Thomas the Tank Engine tapes would end. Strange to get so wound up over something so trivial--all ya have to do is put in another one or rewind! He was even able to do those things himself. At the time I was a nurse and I remember thinking how nursing home patients would start doing something weird and it would turn out to be a urinary tract infection or something. So I took him to our family doc and he had pneumonia!! He hadn't even coughed!
So...Don't take it for granted that it isn't something physical making him so miserable. He is too young to be able to communicate to you what is wrong. Besides, he is wreaking havoc with your ability to care for your other boys. Action is required!

Deirdre

> Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 16:48:00 -0600
> From: "Kim J. Flowers" <kim@...>
> Subject: Couple mommy questions....
>
> These are things that I haven't experienced with such extremity before with
> my other kids.....
> I know he isn't sick or not feeling well. He
> is a completely different baby when he is sick or teething. I mean this is
> so incredibly extreme. The other boys went through clingy stages, but not
> like this.