Need advice for ar high needs baby
Hi there, this is my first time posting here so please bare with me.
For context, I am a first time mom to a beautiful baby boy (10 months old). Since he was born he had faced many issues that I guess are common but they have stripped me off the beautiful newborn experience mothers talk about. For starters he suffer extreme CMPA and then had reflux and colic. As a first time mom with no knowledge on these issues was traumatised. I honestly felt helpless and wanted to help my baby the best I could.
As he grew older he grew out of this but ever since he was born he has been a verg sensitive baby. Always wants to be held and needs me constantly. Don’t get me wrong I love the feeling of being wanted and thats just what motherhood is; being there for your little one. He has had some breif periods where he isn’t fussy and clingy but thats only 3 days or so and then he becomes very fussy.
I have tried figuring it out from teething to you name it and I have reccently found out that he is a high needs baby. Not like other high needs baby he isnt sensitive to specific things but i have noticed a couple of things: like he doesnt like certain texture of food.
He has never been a “good sleeper” and has never been great with his feeding ( which ik fluctuates as they teeth and have growth spurts). He also hates cuddling or just hugging but just wants to be carried around.
I kinda went with the flow and just try to respond to him at all times, if that means carrying him all day long. He is now 10 months old and still isnt a good sleeper ( low sleep need baby) and isnt very good with foods. He loves dinner and snacks on puffs and yogurt pouches but anything other than that he doesnt take. He doesnt like crawling around much and loves the outside and now that the weather is nice I pop outside whenever he is a bit cranky or overwhelmed.
I had to stop breastfeeding because its just overwhelming the night clustering (we cosleep) making his morning feeds little to nothing and then pumping isnt an option as I can not sit and pump even, he gets very upset and just wants me to carry him. And so I switched to formula to help make it a little easy on me.
This has been effecting my mental health as I keep thinking of his sleeping and eating ( he isnt great with drinking his milk and wont finish a bottle in one sitting only 2-3 oz formula and then drinks the rest once he wakes up) he doesnt like cuddles or affection but wants to be clung to me all the time. I keep saying its a phase and he needs me rn but with time its like everything has become more difficult. He is very cranky and screams all the time i put him down. This is making me not enjoy motherhood and to be honest reconsider having another baby.
I need some tips and help from any moms who have been through this. Ik it gets better but i need some advice. I would love some tips for the food and milk. Im really concerned about his health and have bookes an appointment with a dietitian but still would love some help. And really need some tips for comforting my high needs baby without hating motherhood or feeling drained.
P.S. his sleeping has improved since montoring his nap lengths and giving a nice dinner and switching to formula milk. He has reccently started doing 4-5 hr and occasionally a 5 1/2 - 6 hr stretch.