7 week old baby will only stop crying when mil carries him

[oculi83]

Hi everyone,

I'm a first time mommy and need some advice.

I can't seem to calm down my baby when he cries. I try to carry him and rock him but he'll just keep on crying more and more. I live with my mil so, when he cries she'll come and take the baby from me. As soon as she has him on her arms he stops crying. Though I'm thankful for her help, I'm extremely frustrated and can't help but feeling hurt. I am the mother. Why can't I soothe my baby? I feel like he thinks my mil is his mother and not me. If he ends up always wanting her and not me it'll really crush me.

We're fine when he's in a good mood. And when my mil brings him to me for breastfeeding he'll look at me and smile. After feeding him he usually is in a good mood and he'll smile at me and 'talks' to me (i am the only one he does his baby talk with). So, I think he likes me. But why won't he let me soothe him? Is it the way I hold him or is it because I'm exhausted and thus easily stressed out and not as calm as my mil? I just feel like a total failure!

 

[AhJuHo]

Don't feel this way. I faced the same issue before. I felt so helpless that time too. But after 1 - 2 months later, he will be fine. This is what happen to mine. Since you are breastfeeding, I'm sure the bond is strong. Talk to him more often, he will recognise mummy's voice.

I think maybe is the way we hold them, afterall we are all first time mum. Mil is definitely more experienced. I also realised the tone of voice we used. Babies love high pitch voice.