When people say, “Babies don’t come with an instructions manual”. You laugh, and then you cry.
People and experts are quick to tell you ‘What not to do’, but where is the information and testimonials about ‘What to do'?
I was reading a post recently from a second time Mom, and she was sharing just how hard it is and the importance of realizing that, as the Mom, only YOU know what’s right for your family. 👏🏻
I want to let Mama’s know that there ARE things you can do!
No, I haven’t reinvented the wheel or invented some new miracle product, but we CAN go over the basics according to Dr. Harvey Karp. Because, the beginning is HARD. There’s no other way to say it. There is A LOT of crying as we navigate how to respond and help our babies adapt to this big, new world. So, what do you do when your baby is 2 hours into the witching hour and no end in sight? Or you are questioning if they have colic or not? The actual definition of colic, while still a lot is unknown about it, is defined as more than 3 hours of crying, for 3 or more days a week for 3 weeks. Colic can cause crying at any time of day, whereas the witching hour is most commonly seen starting at 4/5 PM and lasting until last man standing...bedtime.
Tips to calm your newborn
💟Swaddle- Your baby developed in a warm, compact environment. Swaddling helps mimic this during sleep while keeping them calm. Wrapping tightly with a receiving blanket or using a zip up swaddle with arms down is highly effective. If swaddling alone doesn't calm your fussy baby, move on to the next step.
💟Side/Stomach- putting a fussy baby in the football hold on their side/slightly facing down (while being held) can trigger your baby's calming reflex. Note: these postures should not be used unattended or when caregiver is at risk of falling asleep themselves.
💟Shush- A fellow Mama told me a story recently how her 2 year old remembered hearing her heartbeat while in the womb. We can recreate that by shushing, white noise, running shower, fans, etc. Keep in mind that the shushing needs to be as loud as your crying baby or louder. The noise can then decrease once baby is calm.
💟Swing- Our babies were used to 12-15 hours of motion a day. So, our new babies will love to be rocked, bounce or jiggled with their heads supported. Use the swing after the previous S's have been completed. Then place baby in the swing while attended. The swing isn't meant solely to calm them, but instead, it will prolong a calm period for your child.
💟Suck- Breast, pacifiers, fingers, repeat 🙂 It takes practice to learn to suck. Lightly tap the pacifier out of their sucking hold in order for them to learn to bring it back it. Holding the pacifier stagnant in their mouth doesn't teach them how to grab it with their mouth and suck. If your chid is breastfeeding, let them practice sucking on your nipple before introducing a pacifier. This will help feeding to become established quicker.
Just like anything else, it takes practice. If it doesn’t work the first time, that’s okay. You’re in it together. Becoming confident in these techniques will take a bit of time and repetition.
Newborn sleep schedule
A newborn will have a very erratic rhythm at first where a schedule will seem impossible. At first, I recommend to follow a sequence of events instead of a time on the clock. The routine is called Eat/Wake/Sleep. Here is an example.
This is just a small sneak peak into our Newborn Sleep Essentials Course. Want to know more?
The slides in our newborn course will walk you through
Newborn sleep schedule
Newborn bedtime routine
Newborn witching hour + colic
Newborn bedtime
+ Much more!
Get access to our course here!
Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who is passionate about sleep. Lindsay has helped many families restore sleep balance in their home after a birth of a child.
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