Another important factor is that babies can be very different at night than they are during the daytime. Therefore, taking note of what time of the day it is can also help to establish why your baby is unsettled. For example, it is quite common for babies to cluster feed during the evenings. So, if it is the usual time for a cluster feed, then you know that your baby is likely to be up for an hour or two needing a few goes at the breast before settling.
During the day however, babies may want to be awake and interacting with the world around them, so trying to force sleep during this time can actually make things worse rather than better. A more appropriate course of action would be to allow your baby to spend the day in a light room and close to where normal household activities occur during the daytime. As evening approaches darkness and a quieter environment is more appropriate
Then of course we have to understand that the age of the baby will have a significant impact on the ability to handle discomfort.
For example, what a newborn can tolerate is very different to what say a 4-month-old can endure. Newborn babies are pretty much “I’m awake so feed me” kind of creatures, while a 4-month-old will wake up and smile at you and have a few minutes of gurgling and chatting before needing to be fed. Another example is the ability to settle off to sleep. This is a learned skill, and a newborn baby will need way more soothing than an older baby might need.
As your baby grows there will be new challenges that will not have been an issue even the week before. For example, when teething or when your baby is ill from a virus. Life with a baby can be a journey of thinking you have this parenting thing all sorted, only to find yourself back at the books or on google the next day learning about the next age-related challenge!
Trust me, it never ends! Ask your parents as they learn to negotiate the wonderful world of learning to be a grandparent.
Then of course we have to understand that the age of the baby will have a significant impact on the ability to handle discomfort.
For example, what a newborn can tolerate is very different to what say a 4-month-old can endure. Newborn babies are pretty much “I’m awake so feed me” kind of creatures, while a 4-month-old will wake up and smile at you and have a few minutes of gurgling and chatting before needing to be fed. Another example is the ability to settle off to sleep. This is a learned skill, and a newborn baby will need way more soothing than an older baby might need.
As your baby grows there will be new challenges that will not have been an issue even the week before. For example, when teething or when your baby is ill from a virus. Life with a baby can be a journey of thinking you have this parenting thing all sorted, only to find yourself back at the books or on google the next day learning about the next age-related challenge! Trust me, it never ends! Ask your parents as they learn to negotiate the wonderful world of learning to be a grandparent.
Of course, in today’s day and age, there is an app for everything – and this includes baby trackers. A good one that I have come across is Glow Baby Tracker, which is available on the app stores. This may be a better way for you to keep track of things if you find that the pen and paper method just doesn’t work for you. The great things about this app is that it can be linked on multiple devices so all carers can add to the records. Again, let me add a warning! This is not a scheduled programme but rather a way of keeping track so that you can remember what has happened in the lead up to your baby signalling that help is needed.
As the days and weeks progress you will start to notice a pattern developing. Sleeps may settle into a more predictable rhythm with feeds slotting in at more or less the same time each day. You will begin to work out good times to go for a walk or to get some chores done around the house. You begin to settle into a rhythm that is familiar to both you and your baby as he/she learns that needs are being met on a consistent basis. In the next blog I will deal more with how to build a routine around your baby’s pattern.
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