This article will focus on meeting the need to feel secure.
Once a baby is changed, fed, and well rested, he may still cry. As parents, we wonder why soothing babies is so difficult. Why, when we are doing everything in our power, that little bundle still cries like his world is falling apart. While the reasons are many, from gas bubbles to wanting attention, one reason is the need for feeling secure. For approximately nine months, babies are safe and snug in a warm, stable environment, being constantly nourished and lulled by soft swishes and sounds.
In one fell swoop, he is introduced to an environment that is often much colder and has many loud and unfamiliar sounds and lights. He is also no longer attached to his mother but often laying on his own. No wonder babies cry!
While it is impossible and unnecessary to completely recreate the womb environment, including some of the things a baby was accustomed to for those nine months in her new environment may help her to adjust better and feel more secure. One way to recreate that environment is for Mother to hold the baby close to her chest while rocking.
This is very effective while nursing or bottle feeding. First of all, this method of soothing babies recreates at least four aspects of the womb environment: hearing mother's heartbeat, being body-temperature warm, feeling the rocking motion, and being nourished. If mother and father speak to baby, she feels even more secure as she was used to hearing those voices.
So what about when baby is not being held but needs to sleep in her own bed? The first thing to make sure about is temperature. Make sure the crib or room is a comfortable temperature.
Many newborn babies like to be swaddled, as it increases their feelings of security. Finally, having comforting and familiar sounds can help greatly when soothing babies. A scientific research study conducted by Dr. L. Salk found of children placed in a hospital nursery, those who heard a heartbeat sound were calmer and developed better than those who did not hear the sound.
Babies are used to hearing sound: heartbeat, mother's voice, the swishing of fluid inside Mommy, etc. Placing an object in or on the side of the crib that produces soothing sounds, such as heartbeat, nature sounds, or soft music, even a recording of mother speaking is an option, may go a long way for soothing babies.
You can purchase musical mobiles, crib toys that make musical or mother-type sounds, or even some baby monitors come with a device that makes comforting sounds to place on baby's crib. When my son was just a few months old, he pointed to the CD player like he wanted to listen to music before we put him to bed. He is now 2 and prefers to sleep with the soft music. We have very little difficulty with getting him to go to bed and stay there.
In conclusion, though no one method will work every time when soothing babies, recreating some of the aspects of the womb environment, such as warmth, motion, and soothing sounds, help to create the feeling of security every infant wants and needs for positive growth and development.
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