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IS IT MY MILK?
By Roxanna Ward
Surprise! Babies cry. I know this
may come as a shock to you, but it is a fact nonetheless. However, a lesser
known fact is that many new mothers stop breastfeeding their babies because of
crying.
It may go a little like this. My baby is not in pain. I've checked his
diaper. He just nursed. I wonder if he got enough to eat. Maybe he is still
hungry. Maybe I'm not producing enough milk. Many women have doubts about
their milk production. Therefore at the first sign of any difficulties, these
doubts surface. The fact is that less than 2% of women have milk production
problems.
Ok, lets just assume that you are part of the 98% that have no milk production
problems. Your baby is still crying. A crying baby is not an easy sound to
ignore. And your babies cries should not be ignored. Afterall, crying is the
way your baby communicates with you. Society has led us to believe that if we
pick up our baby everytime he cries, you'll spoil him. In fact, if you pick up
your baby everytime he cries you will not be spoiling him. You'll be teaching
him that you are there for him. That he can depend on you
to supply his needs. Babies get lonely also. Often times a young baby simply
wants reassurance that you are sill around. A few minutes in your arms and a
few soft words may be all it takes to calm him.
What if he is still crying? Check
out his clothing. Make sure nothing is poking him. Perhaps he is a little too
cold or a little too warm. Simply wrapping him can be a great comfort to him.
Other babies are calmed by white noise. Turn a fan on high or lay your baby
underneath a ceiling fan to watch it go round. Our 20 month old still loves to
watch a fan. Vacuum with the baby nearby. Or take the baby into the laundry
room and turn on the dryer. Our oldest
loved to sit in her bouncie seat on top of the dryer. Just remember to never
leave your child unattended on any high surface.
Still other babies are soothed by the usual tried and true methods. Rocking,
being sung to or a gently car ride may do the trick. If you have already tried
everything and nothing works, not even more time at your breast, maybe he is
overstimulated and just needs to wind down.
If you can't calm your baby right away, don't take it personally. Chances are
it has nothing to do with you or your breastmilk. What worked yesterday may not
work today. Remain calm and remember "this too shall pass".
Roxanna Ward, Community leader and staff writer for
http://www.BabyUniversity.com, lives
in Georgia with her husband and her three children. As a published freelance
writer the focus of her writing is concentrated on sharing household tips, her
experience with her frugal lifestyle as well as the phenomenal process of
breastfeeding, child rearing related issues and romantic relationships. She is
also currently the Editor of three newsletters: What's New at BabyU?, Intimate
Encounters and At Home with Baby
University. Roxanna can be contacted at
Roxanna30135@aol.com
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