My sister in law gave me this little nugget of advice. You need to get to know your baby. Yes, you carried this babe inside your very own body for 9 months, and he was literally a part of you. But, through the miracle of life, he is now his own little person, and even teeny weeny newborns have preferences.
Some like to be burped on their tummies, others like to be walked to sleep, others like having something cuddly near their face to fall asleep. Some run hot, others are freezy cats (mine was!), some like their space and others crave constant human contact. It will take you a while to figure out what it is that they need when they cry (or if they just need to cry!), and how to comfort them.
A friend of mine told me how her son would scream bloody murder when anyone else other than his mom changed his diaper as an infant. It upset him massively. People looked at her like she was crazy when she said that he preferred her to change his diaper, but she held firm. Today, that boy is a healthy teenager who is the most private and modest of all her kids. She was right! And she had gotten to know her son, so she was able to see his need.
You won’t figure it all out the first day. Or the second. It takes time. And that’s ok. Just make it a priority to get acquainted!
Check out the rest of my 31 Day Series!
I live this series and this post. It's so true that you have to get to know your baby. I'm always amazed at how different babies are. I'm stil trying to figure Henry out. He lets me in on new things everyday.
ReplyDeleteI remember emailing my best friend right after I gave birth to my second child (who screamed literally non stop from the moment he was born) and telling her how guilty I felt because I was actually a little resentful that this new kid was keeping me away from my sweet little 2 year old (who decided to come down a double ear infection the day we brought her brother home from the hospital!). She responded by telling me that while my relationship with my daughter had had 2 years to grow, my relationship with my son was brand new and it would take time to get to know him and that was okay. Her email helped me calm down and start bonding with my son.
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