 |
|||
|
|
|
||
Nothing can be more nerve racking for
a parent than the wail of a baby
who can’t be comforted. You can lose a lot of sleep and at some
points come close to losing your sanity. While everyone has their
own ideas for raising children one of the best things you can do for
your baby is calm them naturally. Here is some information to help
you finally calm your baby.
Many parents and doctors will tell you to just leave your baby alone
when they are crying. The philosophy is that if no one comes to help
the baby, they will learn to “self soothe”. The truth is small
babies don’t have the emotional capabilities to self soothe. Yes,
the baby will stop crying eventually, but only because it feels it
has been abandoned and has given up on seeking help. A baby who
isn’t comforted when they cry believes their parents no longer care.
This can destroy the parental bond and the child’s self esteem.
Letting a baby “cry it out” may not always be the best option.
On the other hand, your psychological health matters too. There’s
bound to be the occasional time that you can’t take it anymore and
no one is around to help you. If you feel you’ve reached your
breaking point, it’s all right to take a break from your child for a
few minutes while you regroup. If your child knows you’re coming
back eventually, they will be less likely to feel abandoned.
The best way to learn to soothe your crying baby is to get to know
them. Most of the time, the child is crying because something is
wrong; they’re hungry, tired, grumpy, sick, bored, or have one of a
multitude of other needs, and every one of these problems has a
different cry. If you spend time with your baby and listen
carefully, you should be able to distinguish one cry from another.
You should for other cues such as facial expressions and body
language. The sooner you learn to interpret your child’s crying, the
sooner you’ll be able to satisfy their needs.
Sometimes, babies don’t really have anything wrong with them and are
just plain upset. Here are a few suggestions for calming a fussy
baby:
* Play music. Many babies may also be soother by you singing
to them or to simple white noise.
* Use Lavender. It is known to have natural calming properties; you could put it in their bath, bedroom, laundry, or almost anywhere that the soothing vapors will be able to comfort them.
* Use the 5 S’s. Swaddling, laying the baby on its Side or Stomach (supervised), Shhing, Swinging them in a mechanical swing or your arms, and offering a breast or pacifier to Suck on will trigger the baby’s natural calming reflex and help them relax.
* Distract them. Try to offer him his favorite toy or make quiet baby talk. You may be able to get him to forget he was upset in the first place.
* Give your baby a massage. A
massage can be just as relaxing for your baby as it is for you. Be
very gentle with your touch.
If you’ve tried these and other remedies, but your baby still won’t
stop crying, you should take them to the pediatrician, just in case.
They may have something simple (but annoying), like colic, but it’s
best to be sure that it’s not something more serious.
Please subscribe to my monthly newsletter, The Earth Hugger. It tells you each month about new information that I have added to the site, as well as reviews of the latest, greatest green products.
Please subscribe to my
Earth-Hugger Mini-Blog. This RSS feed is a small blog
about green living, which will also let you know whenever any
new or changed Web pages appear on Earth-Hugger.com. It keeps
you up-to-date with other special postings and points out some
of our special past articles that you might otherwise miss. Just
click on the
button on the left to subscribe.
Articles: Natural Parenting
It seems today’s society is becoming totally apathetic to the world around them. Many children in particular are more concerned with playing the latest video game and don’t really pay much attention to the environment around them. It may seem hard to get your children to show an interest in the world around them, but you can get them to care if you start early and take small steps. You may not make a difference overnight, but you may just make a difference in the future of the planet.
Teething can be a horrible time for babies. Not only does a new tooth cause pain and discomfort for your little one, it also can be scary to have something new growing inside their mouth. While there are lots of products on the market, such as baby Tylenol and teething gels, these products can be dangerous for your child. Before you go shopping at the pharmacy aisle, try some of these natural remedies to stop teething pain.
One of the newest trends in parenting is baby sign language. People in the deaf community have known for years that babies could communicate through sign long before their vocal cords allow them to speak, but the trend didn’t really catch on because of the false assumption that signing led to later verbal language development. We now know that not only does signing not keep a baby from talking; it actually helps them to start talking sooner and have better language skills.
It used to be diapering was such a hassle; mothers had no choice but to use cloth diapers, clumsy pins, and annoying covers. Then they invented disposable diapers and most mothers thought it was a miracle. Now, about 80% of diapered babies use disposable diapers. But are plastic diapers really better? Before you go grab a pack of Pampers, catch up on some of the advantages of cloth diapering.
How to Make Homemade Diaper Wipes
Like most disposable baby products, diaper wipes can be expensive. They also contain unnatural chemicals that may harm your baby. Instead of spending all that money, why not make your own, natural, safe homemade diaper wipes in just a few minutes?
How to Choose the Right Cloth Diapers
When we were kids, our moms had one choice for cloth diapers. It involved folding, pins, plastic covers, and a lot of frustration. Many of us have simply switched to disposable diapers because they’re more convenient. Well, most cloth diapers today are not only convenient, they’re also more attractive and sometimes work better than disposable. The key to using and sticking with cloth diapers is choosing the one that works best for you. Here are some of the cloth diaper options on the market.
Babies need a lot of attention and there’s a great way you can have your baby with your all day, hands free. Imagine being able to cook, clean, shop, and play with your other children all while you baby is safely snuggled up against you. Well you can do that and more with the art of baby wearing.
Most mothers know that breastfeeding is the most natural and healthy option for their baby. The problem is that nowadays mothers need to work, shop, take their other children places, and do a thousand other things; it’s hard to always be in a private area when your baby is hungry. Social norms make many women feel wrong feeding their children in public areas, but don’t let this stop you.
We live in a bottle feeding society. Many mother’s not only find
bottle
feeding more convenient, they have also been led to believe
that feeding formula is somehow better for them and their baby. This
information is flat out wrong. The benefits of breastfeeding for you
and your baby generally far outweigh any risks or problems you may
face.
Many parents who co-sleep with their infants worry about keeping them in a family bed too long. You probably have worries about your child becoming too attached or that a toddler will affect your marital relationship. Many families continue to co-sleep with their older children, who grow up to become healthy and well adjusted. Just as with infants, co-sleeping makes a child feel safe and loved.
In our modern culture, many people wouldn’t even consider sleeping in the same bed as their baby, but the practice of co-sleeping has gone on for thousands of years in many parts of the world. Co-sleeping with your child helps you form better bonds and feel closer to them, helps them feel safer, and has even been shown to improve a child’s self esteem and more satisfaction with life when they get older. While many organizations claim co-sleeping is unsafe, there are precautions you can take to sleep safely with your child.
While terribly painful, many times natural childbirth is the best option for having a healthy delivery. It also makes sure that you will be lucid and ready to see and hold you baby once they are born. While most women plan on having a natural birth, many tend to change their minds when the pain gets too bad. If you really want to have a natural childbirth, but aren’t sure you’ll stick with it; try these methods to help you prepare for your labor.
There are a lot of different philosophies out there about how to raise your children. One of more popular parenting philosophies that’s been publicized in the past few years is attachment parenting. Many people don’t understand exactly what it is. Attachment parenting is when the parents try to form a close, special bond with their children. This strong relationship with their parents is said to help a child develop strong, healthy, secure relationships in the future.
© 2006-2008 All Rights Reserved
Earth-Hugger.com
