doesn't get stressed out with a new baby in the house? Attitude and perspective means everything to your little one. Whenever you hear baby cry, she is trying to tell you something because she cannot talk. She is not trying to make your life difficult, or prevent you from getting sleep, she is simply trying to tell you what she needs. It is your job to figure it out. Does he need a diaper change? Babies are uncomfortable when they have to sit in their own urine or feces. Is he hungry? It is common for new babies to eat every hour and a half or so. Feed baby whenever he wants to eat. Does he want to be held? It is extremely important to hold baby as much as possible and give him love. There is no such thing as spoiling a child.
Tell baby everyday how beautiful and smart he is, and how much you love him!. Do baby's gums hurt from teething? Babies can start teething as early as 2 months of age. Does baby have a tummy ache? This is common at an early age. Try placing baby in different positions, or simply carry baby around the house for 15 minutes. Sometimes a pacifier will help. If baby seems upset during the day, and you have taken care of everything else, baby could just be bored. Play with baby with new toys, or something you have around the house such as measuring cups. If you have the money, babies love bouncer seats that you hook up on a door frame. Wait until baby is able to sit up with support for this. Babies R Us sells all sorts of neat items to entertain . Zainy Brainy is another great store with super baby items.
Anger
is an immature response to a babys behavior. If you feel yourself getting angry, remember to tell yourself this is simply your frustration with the new demands in your life. It is ok to feel frustrated or angry, but it is not ok to lash out at your newborn. If you find yourself getting angry, try hugging your little one. This takes away those negative feelings right away. If you feel you can't do this, then gently place baby in a safe place and go get yourself a drink of water. Think to yourself that everything you say and do to your child will affect him for the rest of his life..So make every interaction a conscious decision on your part. You have total control over what type of child you raise.
If baby wakes up
crying at night, change her diaper and feed her. If she is not hungry, then go to her crib and gently stroke her saying, "It's ok sweetie, mommy (or daddy) is here. You go back to sleep now". Leave the room. If baby is still upset after 15 minutes, then there is a good reason. Try to figure out what it is. Does he have a poopy diaper?
About movies.
Never ever take your baby to the cinema..unless the show is a documentary on flowers, or an educational show on bunnies. Babies and children up to age 7 or 8 do not know the difference between reality and fantasy..they think what they are seeing is actually happening to them! If you were to take them to the movies, they would probably be traumatized depending on how much conflict and violence was in the flick. The loudness of the movie alone would be enough to make babies fearful. In terms of TV shows, its ok to let baby watch Sesame Street, Barney, Blues Clues, and other educational shows with no conflict or violence. Babies can learn a lot from these shows. Don't let baby sit in front of the TV for too long though. Baby will grow up thinking that sitting in front of the TV is ok to do all day long.
Another thing
to realize about babies is that they understand what people are saying long before they can talk. An example is when you change a diaper, if you say something like, "whew! baby is stinky" then baby will literally think that he or she IS a stinky person. Be careful what you say! If you tell baby he is a bad boy, then he may grow up thinking he is a bad person. And this will have all sorts of negative ramifications. An example of a positve response to inappropriate behavior for a child would be "hitting hurts people". It's important to remember that babies can learn easily! So start to teach them wonderful appropriate things early.
If there is one thing you need to remember about raising your baby, its that your baby is a very precious gem of a human being...Turn every experience into a positive one.
Let's talk about food.
Breastfeeding is best for baby as long as mom is not taking any medication that may enter the breast milk. Do not breastfeed if you drink alcohol or smoke. If you eat a lot of spicy foods, you may not want to breastfeed. Using formula is perfectly fine for baby. There are a lot of good formulas out there. Talk to your healthcare professional for advice. Isomil is good if there is any possibility that baby may be allergic to milk. Try to prevent problems from happening before they start. Make sure you have the right nipples on your bottles for the age of your baby. The packaging tells you what size hole you need.
Make sure your baby
does not get any solid food until about 4 to 5 months of age. Allergies in later years have been linked to feeding solids at too young an age. Also, baby's digestive system is not yet equipt to handling food before that. You could end up with a very fussy baby.
When you start with solids, begin with rice cereal. Follow the directions on the box. Try rice cereal for a week. If baby is not ready, then he may develop a pink rash around his mouth or on other parts of his body. If this is the case, discontinue rice cereal and try oatmeal cereal. After the cereals, then you can try stage one carrots, peas, or other stage one vegetables. Only try one type per week to rule out allergies. If baby does not like a food, do not try to force it on her. Wait a week or two and then try that food again. Sometimes babies change their minds! Make sure that you continue to feed baby her bottle after the solids. It is important that she still gets her breastmilk or formula every day until she is one year old. Then you can try whole milk.
Let's talk about shots.
Babies need vaccinations to stay healthy. At 2 months of age they will begin a series of shots that will go for many years. Babies get shots at 2,4,6, 12, and 15-18 months of age. Also at 4 to 5 years of age they will get shots. Keep informed by your health care professional.
Having a baby is a wonderful experience given the right attitude. If you are a parent who is having trouble or needing advice, e-mail me with your questions.
