Babies should receive infinite hugs and comforting words. It is important to respond to both their cries and their coos. I was told that the sooner you cooperate when your baby cries; the better that baby will cooperate as a toddler. I liked this idea, it made sense to me, so I decided to use this strategy when my son was born.
Do not get me wrong, there were times when he had to cry for a couple minutes but for the most part I answered his cries promptly. If he would begin to cry, I would talk to him so he was reassured that I was nearby. When he would hear my voice, he would often stop crying. I would attend to him timely, assuring him, even though he stopped crying that his needs were answered. As my son grew more confident that I was there for him, he cried less often. He became a happy, easy going baby.
It is important to be deliberate when burping your baby after nursing or formula. If you burp them part way through the feeding, you avoid putting more liquid on top of the air they intake. At times you think they are fussing for more when actually they already have a gas bubble. If you speak to them calmly and gently while they fuss during burping, they will often settle in and relax causing the burp to come up.
If you are having a difficult time getting a burp, try burping them in the sitting position on your lap instead of over your shoulder. Make sure that you are supporting their head by gently holding their chin. Sometimes moving from the sitting position to the shoulder position will also bring up that much needed burp and vice versa.
By taking the extra time to burp them well, and sometimes it takes a while, you help avoid your baby being uncomfortable. I have taken up to ten minutes to get a burp out of a baby, but when that baby was ready to nap, they slept peacefully not fretfully. Colic is a buildup of gas, I was fortunate that neither of my children suffered from severe colic. I honestly believe that getting good burps out of your infant reduces colic.
If your infant is having an episode of colic; try letting them lie on you tummy to tummy. The warmth from where the two tummies meet will often help move their gas. They hear your heartbeat, they feel cozy and as you pat their back they relax. You can also lay them on your arm, head at your elbow, facing the floor, one of their arms over yours in front, the other against your body, and their tummy on your hand. Your other hand making sure they are balanced properly to be safe. I would often stand and rock with the babies in this position. This avoids them being face up thinking it might be time for a feeding. It will surprise you how much the baby will relax in this position when they are fussy.
As far as answering the coos, what could be more delightful and engaging than when your baby is starting to make happy noises? This is when we encourage them to start language. Babies love faces, they are delighted when you are face to face with them. The more you talk to them, the more they will respond to you. Please remember not to use baby talk; we want them to hear real words as early and often as possible.
Taking the time to burp your baby well, may reduce colic. Quick, efficient response to your baby's needs builds their confidence. They know that their cries and distress will not go unanswered. You are not only strengthening their confidence but also their trust in you as their parent.
By the way, my son did become an extremely cooperative toddler. He was very patient when I answered his baby sister's cries, when she joined our family.
By the way, my son did become an extremely cooperative toddler. He was very patient when I answered his baby sister's cries, when she joined our family.
No comments:
Post a Comment