My 3 Month Old Only Wants Mom To Hold Her

by Lucy
(Dallas, TX, USA)

My 3 month old will only let me, her mother hold her. She screams when anybody else hold her including the father, is this normal?

It is frustrating and I worry that she is not bonding properly with her dad. Also, it makes me so exhausted.

I don't know what to do. Anyone else experiencing this?

Baby Help Line:

What To Do When Baby Only Wants Mom

Exhausting for sure and also very common and normal! Most babies have periods when only mom will do.

For the young baby to only want mom is part of their bonding process. The baby first bonds and learns to feel completely secure with one person and only then will the process continue full speed with someone else. The most common steps will be first with mom and then with dad (and then with siblings, relatives, friends et cetera.)

If your baby really will not accept being held by dad at all, make sure dad is close to you and your baby as much as possible. If he interacts, talks, smiles and so on with your baby, she will will start feeling secure with him too.

And dad can help out with stroller walks, diaper changes, house work and other things as well, to help you feel less overwhelmed.

Being 3 months old, your baby will very soon become more active and easier to play with. Dad can go down on the floor or bed and play together. (Here are some tips on games to play with a 3 month old.)

Finally, take a look at the tips here for some other parents with a baby screaming in dad's arms.

I hope this helps,
Paula

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My 3 Month Old Only Wants Mom To Hold Her

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Jan 01, 2009

In The Same Boat
by: Anonymous

Very Normal!
My daughter is 5 months and still only wants ME!
Which your family members who hold her which results in her screaming should not take it personally. Odds are your around baby a LOT more than they are. Plus, baby spent 9 months inside your womb only hearing you! She recognizes your and feels comfortable with you.
Enjoy it while it lasts because it will be gone before you know it =)

Nov 05, 2009

same here
by: Anonymous

im in the exact same position, my almost four month old wont let her dad hold her. shes not too bad with my sister, but she seems to like women more than men. Im hoping she will grow out of it soon as im heading back to work in two months and wouldnt want to leave a screaming baby with anyone. fingers crossed!

Jan 06, 2010

4 month old only wants mom
by: Anonymous

My 4 month old only wants me or even dad. But not really anyone else. And people take it personal and get mad. Im finding that i always feel like i have to exsplain myself of why she is that way. I acually am getting mad that they are getting mad. Not sure on what to do. Because i dont mind that my baby only want me.

Apr 28, 2010

Fussy Baby
by: Lily

I know exactly how you feel! my baby is most content with me. i love it that i make her happy but once shes with grandma or uncle or someone else she is ok for a few mins then gets cranky. once shes in my arms shes happy again. shes a little better with her daddy than other people but its not the same as when shes with me. im just hoping she will get better as she spends more time with them.

May 26, 2010

ditto
by: Anonymous

i have the same problem.... she will let her dad hold her but when she is really upset only i can calm her down. we live with family and she sees them everyday but it does not matter. my one brother says it is bc i am overbearing. i get nervous when we want to go out bc people want to hold her and i am not sure how to politely say no.

Nov 02, 2010

3 1/2 month old son
by: michelle

My little guy has totally changed from loving everyone to only handling others for so long abd then needs his mom again. Me and my husband have tried to go out twice and end up getting called home from an aunt and gramma. Hope he gets better bso we can have some alone time again.

Dec 29, 2010

same problem
by: Anonymous

Hi evryone
Am a first time mom. my daughter is 4 months old. Since 2 1/2 month old, she has been like that, she wants only her mum to hold her. I have to go to work and am unable to do so. I want to know how long this will last. Now she is 4 month old and she let her dad holds her. Any1 has an idea how long will it take for her to get along with other people. I have appointed a babysitter for her. The sitter tries to stay with her,but sometimes she starts crying non stop, i have to take her back. Sometimes am very wooried about that as i need to get back to work.Am trying different methods to make her get used to the sitter.

Jan 08, 2011

My baby cries for EVERYONE but me.
by: Jeremy

My daughter is a little over 3 months and she will only calm down when I hold her. When I leave for work My wife deals with a screaming baby for 10.5 hours per night.... I am very very concered. I have read things that the screaming with hurt development. My wife had a few illnesses that prevented her to be around the baby for about 2.5 weeks when she was about 5 weeks old. That ment I had to everything.. i e feeding, bathing, changing... everythin. I enjoyed the time. My baby has acid reflux and is on prevacid twice a day.. and she had erbs palsy in her right arm.. So let's just say the past 3 months have been nothing short of HELL. So, when I get home at 1am from work my baby is crying... no screamin in her mother's arms but the instant I take her... immediate calmness. This is my first baby and don't know what else to do. My wife has tried really hard helping with feedings, diaper changes etc. Any advice that help with this.

Mar 20, 2012

3.5 month old baby girl
by: Anonymous

My 3.5 month old baby girl has bonded with me very well, so much that she only wants me to hold her and the last 4 weeks has been okay with her dad holding her now. She use to cry when he would hold her, I figured it was because I was taking care of her all day and breastfeeding her. She usually see her grandma and grandma every week but she will cry at the top of her lungs if they hold her. I would like her to be able to be able to bond with her other family members but this is not the case. I would like her grandma to babysit too to give us a break but the intense crying from my baby worries me to much that I don't to leave her. I have to go back to work soon so I'm very concerned about this.

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