Most parents of newborns whether first time parents or seasoned veterans, will have to go through an adjustment period. The fact is, you have a new baby in your family that you need to get to know. As well, your baby needs to get to know you too. Through the process of bonding you will build a relationship that is secure. Once you learn about your baby's cues and what they mean, you will be able to meet all of his needs in a more efficient way.
Your baby's overall temperament is another factor that comes into play when it comes to caring for him. There are some babies that are mild tempered, calm and easy going baby,these babies are more adaptable to their environment and basically easy to soothe. There are some babies that are "high needs" and have a more challenging temperament, tending to be more fussy, easily overstimulated and more difficult to soothe. Learning about your baby's temperament make up is something that you will discover over the first few weeks and will most helpful as well when developing efficient care strategies.
Newborns cry as a way to communicate with you: things: hunger, a wet or dirty diaper, tiredness, pain,boredom or even loneliness. Yes even a newborn can be lonely, because remember he was in your womb for nine months so the constant warmth and closeness is still very familiar and longed for.While these are just some of the most basic reasons, always know that there could be alternate reasons. During the early weeks you will have to constant assess the needs of your newborn.
Tips to drying newborn tears:
Here are some key questions that you can ask yourself when you need to provide care
What type of cry is this: is this a high pitched cry,weak whimper or simply fussing?
When was the baby last fed and burped?
When was the last diaper change?
Is the something that may be causing pain or discomfort?
When did the baby sleep last and for how long?
Does the baby have a fever?
Create a care log:
You can use a simple composition book or create a more formal chart on the computer. Print out the chart for all basic needs such as sleep,diaper changes, and feedings. Keep the chart in a centralized location, so that you or the caregiver can refer to this frequently throughout the day. Its certainly takes alot of the guess work out for you.
Tear Solutions:
These are some basic things that you can try in the beginning along with the basics of feeding, changing and burping. Overtime you can develop your own tried and tested remedies
Holding: pick your baby up and hold him close to your body. Cuddling gives warmth and closeness of your body. The sound of your heartbeat, body scent and the sound of your voice soothe him. Holding your baby is another great way to begin the bonding process right from the moment of birth!
Swaddling: wrap your baby in a blanket to create the familiar secure feeling of the womb. The closeness and warmth of swaddling will help him to relax.
Rocking & movement: Newborns naturally like movement because they have experienced constant movement while in utero. Providing rhythmic motion also familiar to life in the womb, can help bring him to a state of feeling calm. You can try simply holding him and gently rocking, use a baby sling and carry him close to you while you are carrying on with daily activities, swings and bouncers can also be a major life saver during those long crying spells.
Change of environment: Sometimes a change of scene is needed. Try assessing the environment: if he is in the cradle, bring him into the family room and place him in the swing. He may simply want something new to look at. Perhaps little things like noise such as a television may be overstimulating. The family dog barking is loud and startling. You should watch for reactions of contentment or fussiness to certain environments.
Offer a pacifier: sucking is an innate ability of all newborns. There are some newborns who have a greater need for sucking even after adequate nursing or bottle feeding. As well a pacifier may be soothing and satisfy the need.
There will be times where you have exhausted all possibilities and find that nothing you've tried will work. Many babies may cry have crying spells with durations that can vary as well as occur at certain times of the day . Its very unpredictable in this sense and its during those moments that you may simply have to lay him down for a while and allow him to cry.
Its important that you also allow yourself to take frequent breaks and allow dad or another set of hands to step in. Sometimes excessive periods of crying can be frustrating and stressful. As well the inability to soothe your newborn can be hard to accept however, its certainly not something that you should personalize.
BookRecommendations:
Your Fussy Baby by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
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