Hey there,

I feel for you. Whining can undermine even the most calm and cool parent. How old is your baby? Ours were both dreadfully miserable for the first 12 weeks, then they seemed to hit a magic time and changed significantly. Now of course whining is in vogue with them again, being 7 and 10 and they can get on a roll that takes off like a runaway train, unless we step in quickly.

Thankfully they're at the age where we can point out the fact that they are whining and get them to change their tone, but that's not possible with a baby, is it!

I think we were nearly driven mad at that time, trying to figure our what their problems were. We considered everything, but I don't think we ever got to the bottom of it. I remember feeling so envious of women who described their babies as placid, mellow, calm. Those words and my babies could never go together.

I do remember that being sleep-deprived made it worse for me, trying to cope with it all, but there was little I could do about that. Breastfeeding on demand meant I was waking about three times to feed. Co-sleeping made it slightly better, not having to leave the bed to feed, but only slightly.

Are you getting the time and opportunity to care for yourself? Eating well, daytime naps, help around the house, massage, walks outdoors?

I'll send you some mother love.

Yes! Persephone hit it on the head. You sound like a mom that could use a break! If you have babysitters, use them...and fast. Ideally an overnighter where you could sleep in and then have the rest of the day for yourself

If you don't have many babysitting options, then just have hubby take them for a day and you get out of the house. Just having your own thoughts to yourself for a while can work wonders for your nerves.

In the meantime, eat right, take walks,take long hot baths with the lights off, nap when they do, and get an ipod w/ some good headphones!

Oh and one more thing.. Many women stop their prenatal vitamins after the baby comes. Don't. Take a good vitamin.

aw thanks gals!

Truthfully, we are ridiculously lucky with Lil Miss because she's extremely jolly baby. She's rather laid-back and calm most of the time, gets deliriously happy when playing and just wigles all over ever time I look at her. Sometimes we wory she'll get sore muscles from smiling so much. Honestly I don't think I've ever known a baby as happy as she is. But when she's tired/cranky/hungry she has started this little whine thing going on. I just happen to be the type of person who whining is like nails on a chalkboard for me!

I do take vitamins occasionaly, not nearly so much as I am supposed to
One thing I do get and that is I walk outside nearly everyday- pack her in the hiking stroller and take the dogs for their daily. I always notice a difference if I don't get outside and walk for at least 15 minutes!
The husband - Soupskin - has been wonderfuly supportive of me but I have bad habit of not asking for help (remnants of previous marriage) and he has a hard time knowing (first baby for him) when he needs to step in. FOrtunately, as I said, she's an extremely easy baby (when she's not whining!) and he adores her (daddy + baby = finger + wrapped)

here's one from a man w 2 boys
If the child is not whining from discomfort, pain, etc., she is playing you for what she can get outta you....you are plugging in the imprints right now, in these early pre-3 years, and what you plug in will be the blueprint for life-

whining should never be rewarded with cajoling, attempts to comfort, as a means to keep you happy-this is a job, that most parents fail miserably at in the U.S.....reward the child with attention when whining, and set yourself up for the next round of testing by yer youngster....this will never stop-success for you mum, is when you continually set the bar higher-let the baby know, that good attention comes with her proper actions, and bad attention with improper(whining).....set the little minx off alone in the room to whine, and ignore it, is the best advice you can get.

Just because they can't form words and sentences, does not mean they are stupid....on the contrary, they know how to play you, and will continually try to find new and improved ways.....It all starts and ends, when they are but teensy...and by age 7, the age of reason, they are who they are.......Capisce???