Many blogs will feature holiday themes, as ours has already. But this particular post goes out to all of those newborn babies who might be a little colicky and the mamas and papas who are holding them into late hours of the night. In our household we think that one remedy for crying baby and tired mamas is an organic, pouch sling.
Why newborns might cry incessantly is a mystery and has many theories: upset tummy, "some babies are just that way", gassy baby, etc. Reading of other cross-cultural experiences of how people respond to colick, some of the world's peoples have baby hammocks they make for a baby that cradles and rocks. The one comfort in this is to know that it experienced all over the globe.
Experiencing what I did with my own newborn (first born) it is important to remember that
1) every baby is different
2) if you become frustrated, ask for help
3) soothe your baby and do what works for her/him
4) know that this too shall pass
Why newborns might cry incessantly is a mystery and has many theories: upset tummy, "some babies are just that way", gassy baby, etc. Reading of other cross-cultural experiences of how people respond to colick, some of the world's peoples have baby hammocks they make for a baby that cradles and rocks. The one comfort in this is to know that it experienced all over the globe.
Experiencing what I did with my own newborn (first born) it is important to remember that
1) every baby is different
2) if you become frustrated, ask for help
3) soothe your baby and do what works for her/him
4) know that this too shall pass
5) if nursing, nurse as much as possible and try to eliminate foods that might be upsetting. For me, this included peanuts, as we later found out our baby had a peanut allergy.
Interviewing other moms and reading other people's experiences, what does seem to help is to cuddle, swaddle and cradle the baby with a soft bounce. For our little girl, this was the only soothing method that worked. We actually had an exercise ball and had to toss the rocking chair aside, as she only wanted to bounce up and down not glide back and forth. She would also wake to the little squeaks of the rocking chair. This baby of ours was highly sensitive! As for the bouncing motion, why does it work? The theory: recreating the movement in the womb. It makes sense when thinking of how babies don't experience the back and forth motion of a rocker, rather the soft bounce of up-and-down, safe inside mama's womb. Indeed, we bounced away and our exercise ball busted from the intense use.
Our other weapon: a pouch sling. It goes along with the wisdom of other societies and what people have done for thousands of years: wear your baby. Our baby slept, nursed and hung out in her pouch sling. And when she would screech and holler, she'd instantly calm down and feel soothed by it. The sling not only became an item of convenience, but of survival. Rattled parental nerves were also smoothed over by the slings comforting abilities. We have several slings--one for water, a fleece sling that stretches and cuddles and a cotton sling for the humid mid-western days.
The beauty of the pouch sling is that it is practical for a child well into the toddler years. Sometimes, I still put my 2 1/2 year old in the sling; bum inside, legs straddled out when she needs to be held like my 9 month old.
As for my nine month old baby, she gets so excited at the sight of the pouch sling. She kicks her legs and is now clapping her hands to know that she can ride along with mama during her daily tasks. Not to mention, I have my hands free to sling around the yogurt and other demanded snacks for my toddler.
Take a look at our selection of pouch slings and if you are experiencing a colicky baby, please share what works for you or what questions you might have.
