Archive for the ‘Crying’ Category

Your Baby Sets His Mealtime, Not You!

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

“Beth cries about the average, I don’t always feed her when she cries as I can’t tell if she is hungry. She shouldn’t, as I make sure I feed her every two hours strictly. Recently, she has been crying more and I find it hard to pacify her, what could be wrong with her?” Joanne, 21 years; Beth, 6 weeks

Dr Stork says: During the first couple of months, most of your baby’s crying is probably due to hunger. You need to feed your baby whenever she’s hungry. This is called “feeding on demand”. That means you DO NOT schedule her feeding by the clock. Offer her your breast or a bottle when she cries, this may be every hour at first, especially if you are breastfeeding. I know this may be taxing for the mother but you will be able to reduce the frequency of the feed pretty soon as she grows. However, if she rejects the feed and continues to cry, you don’t force her either; look for other reasons for her crying, for example wet or dirty diaper.

Learn more at Feeding Baby

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Crying Toddlers

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

 

“Tony is 2 and a half years now, both John and I are getting very worried as he will cry at the slightest scratch or bruise he gets while playing. We are not able to console him and the crying usually gets worse and ended up causing distress to all three of us. Shouldn’t a boy toddler like him be brave?” Jessie, 24 years

Dr. Stork says: Toddlers tend to cry at even the most minor injury such as a small scratch, an abrasion, or a tiny bruise.

In our house, I always had “the magic cream” (a mild antiseptic cream) on hand, and my children responded almost immediately to attention, reassurance, and a thin smear of the magic cream.

Sometimes I had to sit down with them, hold them close, give them a big cuddle, and make very sympathetic sounds to show them that I knew how much it was hurting or how frightened they were and many young children are terrified by the sight of blood. Comfort and  the magic cream nearly always had a calming effect.

Whenever your crying toddler comes to you in distress crying over a small injury, be sympathetic. Say you know how much it’s hurting and don’t try to make him be brave. In a few moments he’ll skip off your knee and return to his play after a kiss to make it better, a cuddle, and a favorite drink or snack.

If necessary, put some interesting idea into your child’s mind to distract him from the injury, such as a special treat for tea, a special game with dad, a picnic, or an outing to a favorite place.

 

You may also want to visit:

Cultivate Positive Behavior in Your Child

Tips on Raising a Confident and Well-Adjusted Child

 

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Newborn Crying

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

What’s wrong with Jeremy? He is 3 weeks old but he keeps crying. I gave him his bottle, I changed him but my baby won’t stop crying. I wanted to sleep but he just wouldn’t sleep. When he cries, I’d get nervous and I’ll start crying too. Having a baby is all new to me, I am getting impatient and I can’t cope with my crying baby. Adriana, 22 years; Jeremy 3 weeks

Dr. Stork says: When you come home from the hospital, you will probably be tired, and your baby’s demands won’t give you much time to rest. Most parents experience this overwhelming tiredness. However, most parents too experience the joy of early parenting. Holding your tiny helpless baby is a special and usually wonderful feeling for both mum and dad.

You must understand why babies cry, a baby may cry for many reasons other than colic. Most often, he may simply be hungry. The solution hence is simple, feed him. Some babies may need to be burped several times during a feeding while some maybe unhappy if you interrupt his meal to burp him. Have patience with him and you’ll soon get the hang of his likes and dislikes.

Some babies cry because of a wet or messy nappy. Again, the solution is simple, change him.

Other babies can’t seem to fall asleep without fussing a lot. If you are sure your baby isn’t hungry, too cold or too warm, and doesn’t need his nappy changed, and he still cries, he may need to be held for a while. Some baby may like to be held on your shoulder and pat or rub his back until he falls asleep. A ride in the car or swinging movement may calm him. Perhaps he would like some soothing music beside his crib.

Newborn baby crying may be frustrating but please remember that you baby is NOT crying to make you upset. He cries because it is the only way he has to tell you he needs you. If you are there when he needs you, you are helping him learn to trust his world and he is likely to cry less in the future if his needs are met now.

Find out more tips on Helping Your Newborn Sleep Better

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