Calling All Moms with TWO or More Young Children

Hi, H.!
In the early days, my daughter was different from my son in that she didn't sleep as well as he did. Also, she was much more needy than he was, from an attention perspective. She was always more vocal than he was. And, I would say that these traits have carried through until today. They are 15 and 16 now.

Both children loved to cuddle and hated being put down, but my first, daughter, was more open to having strangers touch and hold her in the hospital. My second, son, would cry almost immediately. They both nursed well, but again my son was more reactive to noise than my daughter.

To this day, my son is quiet and shy, takes longer to "warm up" to people not in his daily routine/life, and hates the vacumn cleaner:)

I Have 4 kids. All were born with their our personality. They are simular in ways, but also very different.
Each has their out like and dislikes,
Sleeping, feeding, and noise were all different with each child. While I was pregant I notice thier sleeping habits were the same as after they came into this world. So i'm convinced they have their own personality before they get here. (Nature)
However (Nuture) has alot to do with how your child will view the world. If you over react to certain things, the child will learn the same behavior. Also they learn thru guidance and rules.

Hope that helps.

I have 5 kids ages 9,8,5,4&3weeks- and although they were all very simaliar because they were newborns, I did also see differences in all of them. My first had a very hard time latching on when trying to nurse- a common problem for new moms, but he would get so frusterated after just a few seconds and scream and scream until we got it right. All the others latched on fine. My third was born via c-section and when my husband brought him over to me he(the baby) was crying but as soon as I kissed his forehead he stopped crying and looked around. He also laughed in his sleep when he was only a few hours old, but when he was awake he just looked around when he wasn't crying. He also took to a binki earlier then the others. My last laughs and smiles in her sleep since day 1 and smiles when she is awake. She slept a lot more then the others the first few days but it was mostlikely a reaction to the pain meds I was taking(a c-section baby also) and she rarely cries. All my other babies cried a lot more when they weren't comforted and needs weren't met right away. And she is a very squeaky baby- the others were also squeaky, but not like her. She sounds like a hinge that needs oil!
It seems like a lot written down, but really there wasn't much different about each one- just enough to give a hint of thier personalities that I have seen develope. I would guess that my last one is going to continue to be easy going and laid back and a peace maker in the house.
hope that helps!
~C.

Wow, this is a hard one, especially as those first few days are so foggy with fatigue and being completely overwhelmed - no matter if it's your first, second or third child.

I have two daughters - 4 and 8 months. If I can remember correctly, right off the bat there was a noticeable difference in clinginess. My first was more independent - ok with being left alone in a room, crib, bassinet, etc. My second seemed to know the instant I or her father walked out of the room, from day one. This difference continues to be apparent.

Good luck with your studies!
Jenn

I had twin boys. Right from the start one of them was very content to lie in his bassinet in the living room and just look around. He also preferred sweet foods as a baby. His brother, who weigh 2 lbs. more at birth, wanted to be held more and was always hungry. He was the squeaky wheel that got the oil. These difference seemed to continue even today. The one who wanted to be held more has always been very cuddly and a huggy bear, even at 11.5yo. He's also an adventurous eater who loves to try new foods. He really gets into eating and thoroughly enjoys a good dinner. (Sometimes you can even hear him talking to himself..."mmm, this is really good.") The contented one has always been pretty easy-going. He says he's the peacemaker among friends. He has a quick sense of humor since he was a toddler and he can be quite dry. He's a keen observer of human behavior...then he turns it into a joke. He's been an okay eater but would rather have junk food than a real meal. He's also been the one who has needed more sleep. He gave up naps later, is the one who falls asleep first in the car, wakes up last, goes to bed earlier, etc.

My daughter, who is 18 months older, came out with her eyes wide open and looking around. The doctors and nurses all commented on her bright eyes. Even when she was a few months old, people who still comment on her bright eyes and how alert and aware she was. I can't remember much else but she is very aware of her environment and is sensitive to when she thinks people don't like her or have an attitude to her. She's hypersensitive about it, I'd say.

My first baby was oblivious to the world around her. She still is in many respects and she's 14! My second baby, who is now 12, was much more sensitive and easily overstimulated. If too many people were holding her, she would cry a lot. She is still very sensitive today. I've had 4 more children but can't remember how they were in their first couple of days of life - I was so busy with my other children! Good luck with your study.

My two children were as different as night & day. My daughter is adopted & I got her on day 4 of her life. She was extremely laid back in most things, but was also very rigidly on schedule. She ate 2oz every two hours & slowly graduated to 4oz every 4 hours till a year old. She would nap & sleep on schedule like clock work. More her not me although I loved it. She only got fussy when there was a real problem like reflux. I remember shopping with her all day, she was like 2 & she was just so easy to be around I had no idea she was burning up with fever & had strep! I leaned over & kissed her forehead & almost had a heart attack she was so hot. She is still that way today, she's five this month, she points out if i forget to do something or if anything is out of place, but she is still a very easy going girl and if she does get stubborn about something i can usually reason with her. She's always liked people, but is a bit shy. My son who is not adopted, was cranky from day one, he would eat literally every 45 minutes! I really almost had him permanently attached to my boob for a month. If he wasn't eating he was fussing. The only person he wouldn't be fussy for was my dad. there were days when I would call & beg my dad to just come hold him for an hour to get a break. I kept thinking he was cranky cuz he wouldn't sleep longer that 45 minutes. I limited diet to very bland no dairy etc.. nothing changed. after 3 months I was a zombie, exhausted, & wore out. I put my son on formula, but no change in habits until we tried soy formula. My son slept for 4 hours & woke hungry. He was quite & peaceful. I hit the floor & thanked God for this miracle. He is now a very outgoing boy, charming & polite. He does still tend to whine even though I'm very adament about not giving in to the whine it just is his habit. He is the best sleeper as in when he's tired he goes & gets in his bed & goes to sleep even when he was an infant, he would sleep anywhere. He doesn't go with schedules much as he still eats pretty much all day long & i let him cuz he is almost 4 & weighs just 24#. I noticed changes in daughter when son was born. she became less people friendly letting her brother get the attention. She is becoming more forceful in getting what she wants in competition with what brother wants. Hope this helps you.

My older son was a big comfort nurser, my younger was not.
Older liked to sleep on me and would still be co-sleeping at 5 if we gave him the option, younger one was fine on his own early on and wouldn't sleep next to me/anyone at all by 6 months.
I'm not sure about the first few days, but early on my older one was much more sensitive to noises and still is whereas my younger one was/is not.
Older son was an easy gagger (maybe not the first few days, but early on) and has lots of texture issues still, younger one tries anything and has had none of the issues older son did.

My experience was they were very similar. I have 3 little ones and the first few days of life were pretty much the same for all of them. I didn't notice any "personality" differences until a few weeks/months later. There were sleeping differences, fussiness differences, and eating differences, but again those didn't appear for a few weeks. My babies were all pretty much the same the first few days....they slept most of the day and pretty much only woke to eat.

Good Luck!

My first was real alert,she noticed everything and was smiling when she was born. The doctors even said look she's smiling! She wasn't a cry baby either real mellow. She is 12 now and still the same happy and mellow. My second was quiet and content. She never was in a hurry to do anything! She could do things at an early age because we seen her but she didn't care too. We noticed she was happy playing with kids or just by herself. A real happy child. Now she is 6 and the same way we call her a butterfly cause she floats through life. Oh 1 more thing when she was born she could eat like a PIG! To this day her eating habits haven't changed she loves food but is a small kid. My third and last is a boy who is 1. When he was born he was also alert but very very hot tempered!!!! Man this baby had NO patience at all, still doesn't. He also was & is a good eater and happt too. But when something sets him off or he needs any thing it should've been done like yesterday in his eyes. Well thats about it from birth to now there the same. Hope this helped you some.

Each of my children were different from day one and yes they seem to have stayed that way. My oldest (son) was a very calm, quite,easy, content baby. I made the mistake of waking him to feed him so I set his schedule for him but it stayed consistant until I worked to change it. He is still that way- he depends on me for changes instead of making adjustments himself. (Not very independant and he is now almost 11). My middle child was "crazy" from day one. Always alert, demanding, had to be center of everyones attention. She still is that way. She is also very social (everyone has to be her friend) and was as a baby too (didn't care who was giving her attention as long as she got it). She made her own schedule and changed it when she wanted (within the first day home from hospital I was calling my mom crying that I couldn't handle this girl), she is still that way (started kindergarten a year early because she was more then ready). My youngest was very quite, calm, studied people even from birth. She was a very agreeable baby and seemed even then a people pleaser. She did not like alot of attention for alot of people. She instantly was comfortable and content with me, her dad, brother, sister but wasn't as happy when grandparents, aunts, etc held her (even at the hosptial). She loves everyone she is close to but takes her time studying each person she comes into contact with and decides for herself who she wants to be involved in her life. She is "shy" but mostly it is because she is judging if she wants to be close to that person or not. There is no casual relationships with her. Either she LOVES you or you are just someone she knows from somewhere.
Hope this helps :)

My son didn't act different the first few days after his little sister was born (he was 2.5). He was happy and energetic as usual. It wasn't until she was about a month old that he started with the tantrums, melt downs and baby babbling. But then again....he was approaching age 3! He has sort of been that way ever since (he's almost 4 now), but I really chalk it up to age. He loves his little sister and has asked several times for another baby at our house!!

Hello H.,
I ditto what Tracy said before me.
After having a new baby all there is, is eating, changing diapers, and sleeping. Everyone is tired and might even be cranky from the lack of sleep.
Most babies act the same in the first week or so.

Good luck on your assignment. I hope you get an A+.

God bless you. = )