NANA SAYS HOW TO MEET THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF NEWBORNS CAN BE CONTROVERSIAL

Babies cry. Healthy newborns cry. Premature babies cry. All babies cry for a reason. Comforting and meeting the needs of babies is paramount to the physical and emotional growth of little ones. Hunger. Pain. Too cold. Too hot. Babies cry because they need something. I was asked a question recently. What is your take on letting a baby cry itself to sleep especially at night so the parents can sleep and the baby learns? The baby learns what? Babies wake up at night for a reason. Dirty diaper. Need a little more to eat. As babies grow their demand for food changes. Giving more before the last feed often can help the little one make it through the night. Other reasons. Need comforting. Can a parent hold a baby too much? Depends on the child! Every parent recognizes very early that each child is different. Some need more holding while others a quick hug and put me down! Touch is important to growth. Look at the skin to skin after birth.  Called the Kangaroo approach! The baby becomes close to the parent. Not just for Moms because Dads can do it too! Will the baby be spoiled if held too much? What does spoiled mean? No loving and holding and touching are important to humans. Look at our elderly who miss human touch. The reason a dog or cat that visits Nursing Homes to give opportunities for touch have become popular. Babies snuggle into arms and shoulders. Toddlers grab onto a leg. Older children like to sit close for story time. Even grandparents can benefit from a little one wanting to be close. Family hugs and group hugs. Touch and holding are human needs! Back to letting the baby wail and cry for hours on end- I say get a rocker for baby's room and sit and cuddle so everyone is comfortable. Rocking works for comfort for both parent and baby. Not a great fan of letting a child sleep in a parents bed until age 5 or older. Children do need their own space. But sometimes taking a child into a parent's bed may be needed. Judge for yourself! The phases and stages of the first year pass so quickly. Taking real time to meet the emotional needs let the child know he/she can trust the world. As a psychology major, could give all the theories of child development. No this generation has not changed. The same stages apply that applied to your ancestors but I think you get the picture. Parents learn very quickly what the different cries their babies make mean. Pay attention to those cries and you will understand your little one. Remember taking of the physical needs like food do also meet the emotional needs. So while feeding a good cuddle can occur. Benefits both baby and parent!