A baby's cry is her first and primary tool to communicate her needs. She is wired to use it when she has a need or is uncomfortable. For the first few months of life, parents are trying to figure out the mystery of the cry -- what does it mean, and what will make it stop?
21 things to try>/b>:
* Feed your baby
* Burp her
* Wrap her snuggly like a burrito (leaving her face uncovered)
* Talk soothingly to her
* Play music for her
* Change her position
* Change her diaper
* Check to see if she is too warm or cool
* Hold her
* Put her down
* Put her to bed/sleep
* Offer her a toy (for babies three months and over)
* Take her outside
* Take her away from an overstimulating environment (for some babies, this can be lots of people or noise)
* Get comfortable holding her (some people like to hold a baby laying on her back along their thighs with her head at their knees, so they can make good eye contact)
* Put her down where you can stay close and still touch her
* Calm yourself and relax your breathing (remember, she can't cry forever)
* Think about how you might want people to respond when you are crying (do you like being jiggled, bounced or plugged up when you are crying?)
* Stay close
* Make eye contact
* Use your voice to let her know you are present and that you will stay with her while she cries
Depending on what your baby's day has been like, you can make some guesses about which one of these options to try first.Take stock of the responses slowly and gently, telling your baby each time what you are going to try next. Once you have run through the list of obvious things, you may figure out that there's some crying you can't "fix." Sometimes, just relaxing and not trying to do anything can calm things down. Remember that even if she continues crying, she is experiencing your presence and your support.
Many of us have defined successful parenthood as "having a happy baby." When our baby begins to feel her full range of emotions, it may challenge our definition of ourselves as good parents. It is natural for parents to want to stop a baby's crying, however, if stopping the crying becomes the central focus, both baby and parent may miss some important opportunities for learning about communication, feelings and themselves.
Source: ivillage.com
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
Latest Stories
-
Syria’s minorities seek security as country charts new future
30 minutes -
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo re-appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana
37 minutes -
German police probe market attack security and warnings
37 minutes -
Grief and anger in Magdeburg after Christmas market attack
38 minutes -
Baltasar Coin becomes first Ghanaian meme coin to hit DEX Screener at $100K market cap
1 hour -
EC blames re-collation of disputed results on widespread lawlessness by party supporters
2 hours -
Top 20 Ghanaian songs released in 2024
2 hours -
Beating Messi’s Inter Miami to MLS Cup feels amazing – Joseph Paintsil
2 hours -
NDC administration will reverse all ‘last-minute’ gov’t employee promotions – Asiedu Nketiah
2 hours -
Kudus sights ‘authority and kingship’ for elephant stool celebration
2 hours -
We’ll embrace cutting-edge technologies to address emerging healthcare needs – Prof. Antwi-Kusi
3 hours -
Nana Aba Anamoah, Cwesi Oteng special guests for Philip Nai and Friends’ charity event
3 hours -
Environmental protection officers receive training on how to tackle climate change
3 hours -
CLOGSAG vows to resist partisan appointments in Civil, Local Government Service
4 hours -
Peasant Farmers Association welcomes Mahama’s move to rename Agric Ministry
4 hours