I know. You’re shocked to see another block in this series. You’re tired and you’re thinking, “Surely these fussy stages can only last a few more weeks.” When will I get some sleep? My advice, as a mother of five children under the age of seven. . .is to learn to embrace caffeine as part of your daily routine. Not only do the fussy stages continue throughout the first year but the reality is that for at least the first three years, you are likely to find that you’re not quite getting the same amount of sleep you were before baby. And what’s worse? It’s totally normal. Just the same here are some more stages of fussiness to watch out for.
At 19 weeks. . .
Exploring a series of movements. A baby can now comprehend that a ball rolling to and from mom is more or less one action. Likewise, in his own body, he begins to see the consequences of his actions. For example, if I kick this toy, music comes on.
His reaction? For some moms this is one of the hardest stages because baby has this desire to explore. . .and yet his body capabilities don’t match his desire.
It only lasts. . .for about 5 weeks.
At 23-26 weeks. . .
The world is related! Baby starts to understand that people and things have relationships to one another. While he started smiling at familiar faces weeks ago, this is stage where he’ll likely win over other members of the family. (Or really other members of the family will win over him).
His Reaction? This is when the word “separation” anxiety comes into play. Baby will cry when you’re not with him which may translate into poor sleeping patterns as well. This is also the stage for the infamous nursing strike.
It only lasts. .about 4 weeks.
At 34-37 weeks. . .
Just when you thought things were starting to get easy, little junior hits more development issues! In this stage, babies learn to categorize things. They start to understand that a picture of a chicken and a real chicken are related. In theory, this causes anxiety as it arouses new fears in the baby.
His Reaction? Eats poorly, is extra clingy, reverts to “baby” behavior, and wants to be held non-stop.
It only lasts. . .for 3 to 6 weeks.
At 42 to 46 weeks. . .
Understanding sequences! Baby may start to practice sequential learning such as picking up a key and going to the door and trying to put the key in the door. Again, this arouses new fears in baby.
His reaction? While his new found independence will cause lots of exploring it also causes the same anxieties as before. Again, when you leave, baby understands now that this could be a minute or several hours. Have you every had your baby watch while an animal jumped on you (like an overly friendly dog?) This is likely to get a terrified scream as the baby believes the situation could be dangerous.
It only lasts. . .about 5 weeks.
At 51 to 53 weeks. . .
More exploration and learning to walk. This is around the time that most babies start to walk (although lots do it earlier or later). Again, he is learning even more advanced concepts regarding the sequence of events and is able to synthesize information. For example, all keys unlock or lock a door–but not necessarily this door!
His reaction? If you haven’t noticed before, you’re likely to notice especially now that your baby thrives on a routine without a lot of flexibility. If nap time is at 2pm–you’d best be somewhere at 2pm where he can go down for a nap.
It only lasts. . .2 weeks.
While I can’t say that this is an exact science, I have definitely noticed that my babies hit these stages. To me, regardless of whether or not all the psychology is 100% correct, it makes a lot of sense. When adults go through major life changes–even joyful ones like marriage or graduation, it causes a certain amount of stress. It only makes sense then that as babies his major developmental milestones they would experience a certain amount of stress in their lives too! If you’re in a fussy period–don’t worry. There is respite around the corner. . .
Related Articles:
Stages of Baby Fussiness: The First 12 weeks
Your Baby and Emotional and Social Milestones
Baby’s 5 Senses and How They Develop Over the First Year