Introduction When you’ve got a new baby in the house, you’re likely to hear a lot of crying. Sometimes, a lot more than you ever imagined possible. The average infant cries as many as three hours a day — and some howl a whole lot more than that. The most wailing comes when a [...]
Q: My 2-month-old cries hysterically when I dress and undress him. It makes me feel awful, but what can I do? Don’t feel bad — many babies protest at being changed. The experience of going from feeling warm and cozy to being exposed can be very uncomfortable. Imagine what the womb must have felt like [...]
Your baby is crying. Screaming! She’s miserable. And, frankly, you’re not feeling too great yourself. This is not what you pictured “before baby”-back when your thoughts were all about cozy cuddles and cute outfits. Now all you can think is, “What did I get myself into?” But remember this: Your infant’s tears serve a purpose. [...]
“I’m starving!” Your baby just ate an hour ago, so you’re sure it’s not time for another meal. Or is it? If she’s going through a growth spurt, her tears might mean, “Waitress, I’d like another course.” These spurts typically occur at 2, 3, and 6 weeks, and at 3 and 6 months, and [...]
“My tummy hurts!” There’s no shortage of reasons why your baby might have stomach discomfort. He could have a painful buildup of gas. He might be constipated. Formula-fed babies can develop a milk sensitivity or a milk allergy, both of which can cause cramps along with mucous poop. Or your child could have reflux, [...]
“Would you please take off this sweater?” Just because the air is a tad brisk outside doesn’t mean your baby needs to be dressed for dogsledding in Siberia. Parents tend to overdress infants, who get cranky when they’re hot and sweaty — just like adults do. The fix: Dress your baby in the same [...]
Give Simple Choices What all children strive toward, from infancy on, is independence. “Giving your child at least the illusion of choice helps him make transitions more smoothly,” says Eileen Kasten, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Boonshoft School of Medicine, in Dayton, Ohio. Offer no more than two choices, and make sure you [...]
Master the Art of Distraction If your child wants to watch TV and you’d rather she didn’t, saying no isn’t likely to go well. Instead, show her a book or an interesting game. Or if she wants to climb the stairs but you’re not in the mood to play spotter, distract her with a [...]
I’ll Cry If I Want To Recently, Vincent Hammer put 18-month-old Markus in his high chair and was blindsided by his son’s monster tantrum. “He didn’t want to sit in his high chair,” says Hammer, who lives in northern Vermont. “He screamed for 15 minutes. I finally had to give up and take him [...]
Your baby’s first days out in the world are a rude awakening. Life is quite different from the snug, aquatic environment of your uterus. Conventional wisdom says a newborn needs quiet and gentle handling. But imagine how strange it is to come into a world where everyone is tiptoeing around you after all the sounds [...]