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I'm sorry I feel like our LO is a bit difficult but maybe not quite to that extent. We've had a lot of feeding issues, and went through a few months of issues with complete food refusal. For a long time I was the only one who could feed her, and I was the only one who could put her to sleep. If my husband tried to feed or rock her she'd scream. We sleep trained but it hasn't fully stuck. She has mostly been going to bed okay since we sleep trained her, but she still (at 12 mo) wakes up a lot at night. We'll go through 1-2 weeks of good sleep then for a month she'll wake up 6 times/night and/or waking up and needing me to rock her and not letting me lay her down and I'm up for hours. I really thought by 12 mo she would be sleeping okay. She seems super affected by teething, and is an inconsolable mess for likes, a full week before a tooth pushes through. She also has refused to sleep in her car seat since 4 mo. Even if we leave for a several hour drive at nap time, she still refuses to sleep. Just cries. And she seems to be into stuff a bit more than average. I didn't realize it was more because she is my first kid, but I have some friends with kids who are a little older and they keep commenting how she is SO determined to just destroy stuff and/or kill herself lol. She is super rough and tumble and curious and determined.

So anyways. She can be a bit exhausting and it is hard sometimes to talk to other people who have easy kids and be like... no really my kid can't/won't do that sorry. Or yea no really, even at over 12 mo I am still up with her for hours at night more often than not.

I can't tell you it gts better because we're still in it. But I can tell you I'm not that worried about it. My mom said my brother was a super high needs baby and he is the chillest adult ever. I was a super chill baby and tend to be more high strung. I feel like she she may be similar as a child/adult in terms of like... determination and being a bit "rough." But I do believe at some point she'll eat normally. She'll sleep without me. She'll be okay with me leaving. They grow up and I think she'll be okay, even if it is hard right now sometimes.

Some kids are born more sensitive than others and in all likelyhood, that's just who she is. I find it helps to identify what she is trying to express with all her distress. She needs more reassure, so keep her close.

My DD was not so much sensitive as demanding. She has always been clingy, in arms/a carrier and to this day (16 mo) hates when we leave the room it its not on her terms. Sleeping has been all over the place and she's always been somewhat of a challenge.

But while she may not be an "easy" baby, I find there are so many I other qualities that make up for it. She's sweet, affectionate, funny (she jokes with us now) and so motivated. I guess I've drank the koolaid cause I don't even care that she wakes me up before 6 am every day screaming. Its just who she is.

@kml636: My oldest one is pretty much exactly like you're describing, and is now 2. She still won't cooperate with anyone but me and one grandma, she won't wean, and breastfeeds as much as my newborn, she has basically no toddler independence and is always screaming "where did mommy go" if I am ever 5 steps away from her. Oh and she still wants to be carried everywhere all the time. I think it's just a personality type? I never realized how high needs she was until I had my second, much lower needs, baby.

Hugs. I'm sorry you are dealing with this, it sounds extremely challenging. It definitely should get better as she gets older. I'm sure you have considered medical issues, but if not, have you considered that she might have a food sensitivity? My LO had MSPI plus a host of other sensitivities and she was a screamer until I really cleared up my diet (she was EBF, but formula fed babies would need special formula). There was another baby in her daycare that seemed to go through something similar and they later found out he is allergic to many things. Apologies if you have already gone down this road, just wanted to put it out there. Hang in there, it sounds like you are doing a great job balancing it all!

You literally just described my daughter. She's 8.5 months and sometimes doesn't even want my husband to hold her. There is no one other than the two of us that can hold her or she loses it.

No advice. I've just been going with it. Maybe because she's my first and only. I'm hoping with supporting her as much as she needs now she'll actually be more confident when she's older.