Organic Foods: Know the Facts - Dr. Trent Maly

the outer womb
Understanding
Your Baby’s Cries
By Pinky McKay, IBCLC
One of the inevitable realizations experienced by new parents is that
there are times when your baby will cry, and be seemingly inconsolable.
This often leaves you, the parent, feeling inadequate, frustrated
or as though you’ve done something wrong. But the first rule of the
crying game is “don’t blame yourself.” It’s not your fault, or anybody’s,
that your baby cries—and cries! According to a University of London
study, there is no correlation between persistent crying and a stressful
environment, inadequate parenting, obstetric complications, breastfeeding
vs. bottle feeding, birth order or sex.
Crying is your baby’s first language. It’s pretty much the only way an
infant can express feelings like discomfort, hunger, exhaustion and loneliness.
By understanding your baby’s cries, you will find that you can comfort
your baby more often, and more easily, than you might have initially thought.
Crying is also the only way your baby can release pent-up stress. He might be
saying, “I don’t feel right; please help me.” As your baby grows, he will learn other
ways to communicate—through facial expressions, body language and, eventually,
by telling you how he feels and what he needs. For now, though, here are some
tips to help you soothe the sobs.
Learn Your Baby’s Language
By learning your baby’s pre-cry signals—wriggling, anxious
facial expressions, little grimaces, flailing arms, “rooting” at the
breast, changes in breathing and little noises that say, “I am
working up to a cry,” you will be able to see when he is bored,
frightened, hungry, tired or overwhelmed. By responding
accordingly, you may be able to avert full-blown crying.
Offer Womb Service
Ease the transition from womb to room by snuggling
your baby against your bare skin, letting him feel your
heartbeat. In the early weeks, protect your little one’s
senses by avoiding sudden movements, changes in
temperature, loud noises, bright lights and excessive
handling by “strangers.”
Feed Him Well
Tiny tummies don’t hold enough food to go for long between
feedings—day or night. If you are breastfeeding, remember,
the more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce.
He needs to suck long enough to get the more satisfying hind-
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