Caring
for a newborn baby can be quite an experience, especially for
new parents. Many emotions blend together, joy, awe, fear,
excitement and even frustration. When a baby cries,
tensions may rise because this is the only way a baby has to
communicate (and parents don't speak the language of baby!).
Even seasoned parents or caregivers may be
troubled when their baby cries.
Sometimes babies cry even when they have been fed, have clean
diapers and are healthy. If your baby is crying because
she needs comfort, there are many things you can do. Every baby
is different.
While there is no single or sure way to stop a baby from crying,
the following interventions have been found to have a much
higher success rate than other approaches.
Carrying:
Studies indicate that babies who are carried by a
parent in his or her arms or in a carrier for at
least three hours during the day cry less than
infants who aren't carried as much. The warmth
and close physical proximity during carrying is
calming to your baby and enables you to respond
quickly to his cries.
Rhythmic motion:
Many babies stop crying when in motion.
Rocking chairs, infant swings, carriage rides, car
rides and dancing chest to cheek across the floor
are all comforting motions. Some experts
believe that these repetitive, rhythmic movements
satisfy a baby's need for predictability.
Being able to rely on what comes next that a chair
will rock forward after it rocks backward ,seems to
help a baby feel more secure and safe.
Swaddling:
In the womb, babies grow accustomed to the constant
feeling of snugness and something enclosing them, a
sensation they lose at birth when they're thrust
into the wide open air. Swaddling, being
wrapped very tightly in a lightweight blanket, can
restore this safe feeling, and it also prevents arms
and legs from flailing about, which can be startling
and upsetting to newborns.
To swaddle at home, take one corner of a receiving
blanket and fold it down six inches. Place the
baby on the blanket with her head above the fold.
Next, take one side of the blanket and draw it
across the baby's body. Fold the bottom
section up over the baby's feet, then fold the last
section across the body. Finally, turn the
swaddled baby onto her stomach. A few weeks
after birth infants may cry harder after swaddling
because they find this confining rather than
comforting.
Soothing sound:
Babies are comforted by rhythmic, repetitive sounds
that remind them of things they heard in the womb,
sounds of the ocean or a waterfall, the hum of a
laundry washer or dryer, the sound of a heartbeat or
the hum of a vacuum cleaner. Babies also like
slow, lilting music and the soft sound of a parent's
voice crooning a lullaby.
Comfort sucks:
Babies have a strong sucking urge that is not
related to their desire for food. Their crying is
often controlled by sucking on their fingers or fist
or a pacifier. Follow these time tested tips for
successful pacifier use. Give your baby a
pacifier before she reaches a screaming pitch, and
to avoid tooth decay, don't sweeten the nipple with
honey. Try to wean your baby off the pacifier
by six months of age, a time when the urgent sucking
need is diminished.
For young babies, up until about six months of age,
there is no need to worry about bad habits forming
from too much sucking. On the contrary,
providing opportunities for non nutritive sucking
for as long as a young baby wants can reduce crying
and help the infant settle easier at sleep time.
Massage:
Touch is one of a baby's most highly developed
senses at birth. Stroking your infant's skin
can calm the baby and help her sleep better. A
good habit is to massage your baby from head to toe
for 15 minutes once daily before bed or at bath
time. Simply pour a little baby oil into the
palms of your hands, rub them together, then using
your fingertips, draw circles in a rhythmic motion
over your baby's body. Don't forget his hands,
feet, face and head. Next, hold an arm or leg,
and gripping softly with your open hand, gently move
it back and forth using long, slow strokes.
Be sure to apply just enough gentle pressure so that
you don't tickle. Observe your baby for cues
about whether she likes being touched. If she
doesn't like the sensation, she'll fuss, arch her
back, breathe harder and turn redder. Chances are,
though, she'll enjoy the loving massage. Apart
from enjoyment, stroking the infant's skin sends
messages to the brain to increase levels of
beneficial hormones and chemicals, including those
that help the baby absorb food, bear pain and
regulate levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Cuddles:
Many babies love nestling with something soft like
Mom's nightgown, a soft blanket or a plush toy.
Typically, they don't begin to grow attached to an
object like this and actively seek it out until
around eight months. Prior to this age, keep a
soft object next your baby when you cuddle with her,
so she'll associate the object with your loving
touch.
Routines:
A repetitive, predictable pattern of care may be
more comforting to your baby than any single
soothing technique. As soon as you bring your
baby home, establish a few simple routines, like
bathing at the same time each day or hearing the
same lullaby before bedtime each night. Being
able to count on some things day in and day out is
consoling to an infant who is exposed to so many new
things the first year.
Relief
help:
Constant crying is bound to make you feel tense and
upset. These negative feelings are likely to
be picked up by your baby who will cry all the more.
You may be surprised when your spouse, a friend or a
grandmother cradles your 'inconsolable' baby and
magically calms the screams. After a break
you'll feel calmer, more refreshed and better able
to respond to your baby.
Cry it
out:
Babies sometimes need to cry out inner feelings of
fatigue or tension at sleep time. This can be
a self soothing activity for the infant. So,
if external soothing techniques prove ineffective or
overly stimulating, consider whether your baby just
needs to cry for a brief spell by herself to release
tension and settle down.
Many times, you can avoid the crying altogether by responding
right away to your baby's earliest signals of need, such as
fussing, stiffening her body, or rooting for the breast.
As you get to know your baby and learn her signals, determining
what she needs will become easier for you, even before she
cries.
Caring
for a newborn baby can be quite an experience, especially for
new parents. Many emotions blend together, joy, awe, fear,
excitement and even frustration. When a baby cries,
tensions may rise because this is the only way a baby has to
communicate (and parents don't speak the language of baby!).
Even seasoned parents or caregivers may be
troubled when their baby cries.
The
