Crying: The Boob is Magic!

I was having a conversation about babies and crying with my BFF Gaby, who is expecting her first baby in September and I thought I'd share a few thoughts about how I respond when baby cries.

Babies do cry and they fuss... sometimes you don't know what to do! Sometimes it seems like they are crying for no reason - but they are crying because they are trying to tell you something. They don't cry because it's fun to cry! It's because they are unhappy - usually that they are hungry, sleepy, have wet diaper, have burp, have gas, uncomfortable (hot, cold, something hurts, scared) or just want to be picked up and held.

My routine when babies cry is this:

1.) check diaper
2.) put boob in mouth (usually that does the trick... it's comforting, feeds them and helps them sleep so you tackle more than one problem here!)

Sometimes moms don't offer the breast because they think, "Baby isn't hungry; he just ate!" It's hard to remember sometimes that babies don't just nurse because they are hungry - they nurse because they they are thirsty, because they want to cuddle, because they know mom is warm, and they want to smell her and be close - comfort nursing. And that's ok - they need comforting and they don't quite understand this new world they are in. The only thing they do understand is that the boob is awesome. The boob is their best friend. Baby is not going to eat too much. You can't force them to eat more than they want to eat. They know when to stop eating. Sometimes it seems like baby is nursing an "empty" breast - but what they are really doing is stimulating the breast to make more milk - because baby is prepping you for the growth spurt that's coming in a couple of days! Newborns hit growth spurts every 2 weeks until they are 2 months and then it's every two months after that. And as they get older, they need more milk! No wonder it seems like baby is forever on the breast!

Ok, back to my list - if baby is rejecting the boob and is still crying, then:

3.) burp them

4.) do gas massage to help them pass gas (rub their tummy with open palm, in clockwise motion 3 times and then push babies knees up to their chest. This helps get gas out.)
5.) pick them up and see if they are they too hot, too cold, is something uncomfortable scratching them? is there a hair wrapped around a little toe cutting off circulation? if they are on formula maybe the formula was hard on their stomach and it hurts? if they were circumcised or if recovering from tongue tie surgery, maybe they're sore or in pain? Check to make sure it's healing properly. Check their diaper area - do they have a diaper rash? It can sting. (Sitting in a wet diaper is what causes diaper rash. Make sure baby is changed often.)  Is the perfume someone is wearing too strong? Is a light too bright? Babies are very sensory and if there is too much of something, it can agitate them.
6.) sometimes they just want mommy - and you can't fool them! They know who mommy is!!! Cuddle.
7.) If all else fails, check temperature - maybe they are sick and have a sore throat or something! Call the doctor.

Just know that if they are really hungry or really sleepy (if they have been awake for an extended period) they WILL be very fussy and hard to settle. Just being prepared for it makes it easier to deal with. Boob always helps though. After having two kids, I have learned The Boob is the magical answer to everything. If only all of life's problems were solved with a little bit of mommy milk! LOL!