My first baby was what you would call a high needs baby. She would breastfeed for long stretches, preferred to be rocked to sleep (sometimes it took me up to an hour) and in general liked to be held for most of the day. There was lots to love about a high needs baby. I enjoyed that level of attachment and it was lovely to be needed so much.
My second baby was a different creature entirely. She hated being rocked, she was not a snuggly baby (other than being worn in the Hug-a-Bub wrap carrier) and is quite possibly the most laid back baby I've come across. She plays on the floor on her own and doesn't protest when I'm not in the room. She puts herself to sleep. Few things bother her. Even when I took her to have her vaccinations recently she didn't even flinch when the needle went in. She was born that way and other than a brief stint of colic, she is an unbelievably happy baby.
Recently, as she approached 6 months she started to become a whole lot more unsettled. She would protest being on the floor or when I left the room and started resisting sleep. Which is not unusual for a 6 month old. Separation anxiety starts kicking in and they usually have a good amount of teething to cope with as well. But in my little one's case I think it was that unsettled period before she made her leap to the next developmental stage. She's just about crawling. She commando crawls at the moment and pulls herself along. In no time she'll be off and my productivity at home will drop dramatically.
During this stage there are a whole range of things that you can do.
Harness Brief Periods of Productivity
Even when a baby is going through one of these stages they will still tend to have a decent sleep first thing in the morning. In these times I try to get all the things done that I can do much faster when they are in their bed. Like cleaning the bathrooms, changing linen and getting some work done on the computer. And I make sure and save the things that are easy to do with her for later - especially hanging out washing or anything that needs doing outside - because she loves the outdoors.
Hug-a-Bub and More Hug-a-Bub
During these periods, even as a 6 month old, she will live in the Hug-a-Bub either to sleep or just hang out while I do other things. It's much easier than carrying her around on my hip all day. It's one way of definitely getting her to sleep because I can tuck her head in and it stops her thrashing around too much and keeps her settled enough to drift off. To make the most of this time I have a computer set up at eye-level when I'm standing up so I can use it even when the baby is insisting that I stay on my feet.
Variety is the Spice of Life
As it turns out, it's also the spice of baby. Nothing helps to turn a cranky baby turn into a happy one like a change of scenery - getting outside, even looking out a window can do wonders. But even have a variety of different play areas can be great too - an area on the floor, an easily transportable seat so you can take them around with you and maybe a swing if they are into it {mine has found a way to get our swing to approach warp speed so I haven't put her in it recently}
Know That It's Temporary
If you are anything like me you will enjoy these brief periods of time. I'm quite happy to have a baby who requires a bit more of me than she normally would. It's such a great opportunity to forget being busy and just enjoy her company. The house can wait. She's so tiny but will only be that way for such a finite period of time. I'm going to blink and she will be embarrassed to hold my hand when we cross the road. So I treasure every time she demands to be held close and I would never wish it away.
