Parents!!! Please Help!!! - Page 7

Darcie · #61 10-24-2007, 07:51 AM

Bro. E, your baby is most likely teething. It hurts more than we think. Buy some Orajel and put it on his gums when he's fussy. Now at night he may need some Motrin so he can sleep. Try it. My children had a terrible time teething.

Jesuswins · #62 10-24-2007, 08:42 AM

After 12 years of working in child care I felt I knew all the tricks, but then I had my own child!

We had spells of her crying through the night (she never did sleep through the night until she was 2), it sounds like you are getting some good advice from the few pages of replies that I read. You definitely want to make sure that it's nothing medical. As far as letting them cry it out.... I have tried it both ways, I think one method will not always work for all babies, you have to just keep trying until you find the one that works for you.
One suggestion that I learned about when trying to let them "cry it out" was to set a time limit, example: when they began crying wait 3 minutes before going to get them, then the next time wait 4 minutes and so on. Now what worked my my little one was to go in, return her pacifier, and pat her on the back side (not hard but very firm) until she was sound asleep, it made the matress kind of make a rocking motion when it bounced with each pat, as they fall asleep you pats will get softer and softer.
No matter what you end up doing, just remember that this is what your child will come to expect whenever they wake through the night, so make sure it's something you can live with. That's why some say let them cry it out, so they can learn to put them selves back to sleep, without depending on Momma's voice, or the rocking chair, or even a pat on the bottom.

Good Luck! One day you will look back at this time with fond (or not so fond) memories and you can share your experience with the next new parents!

Truthseeker · #63 10-24-2007, 10:32 AM

woop that babies behind!

Pragmatist · #64 10-24-2007, 12:01 PM

Do what works for your family. My little one will be 7 months old on Saturday. She slept with me for the first 3 months but I was having severe arm/shoulder/back pain from nursing while laying down. I had to let her cry it out to get her to sleep on her own. I felt like the worst mommy in the world letting her cry, but for myself physically, I had to do it.

I do think the parenting "experts" today have gone overboard with the concept that you can't spoil a baby. Maybe you're not spoiling them, but you can reinforce crying by picking them up every time they make an unhappy sound.

AmazingGrace · #65 10-24-2007, 12:09 PM

It all is different for each child.. I didnt raise my oldest for the first 2 yrs of his life my mom and mother in law did for the most part and he never slept at night he had the worst collic he screamed constantly... I can remember driving home from my friends and having to drive him around for hours just so he could get some sleep and this was for almost the first 4 mos of his life... until they put tubes in his ears at 9 mos then he was fine! He never slept alone but there was so much family drama abuse from his dad at that time that either my mom or my mother in law (who also lived with my parents) would hold him till he fell asleep...

When my oldest daughter was 5 days old *day after she came home from the hospital* my mother in law passed away in her bed... my son immediately decided he needed to sleep in his own bed! He wouldnt sleep with another adult from that time on because he was afraid they would die

My oldest daughter slept all night from the night she was born so we never had any issues w her sleeping or really any with her acting out. She was such a good sleeper.

Then there was the youngest!!! OH MY she was so confused because by then we were a military family and one night daddy would be home and tuck her in and the next halfway across the world and that so confused her so she got to where she slept with me when he was gone... she is 9 and still comes and crawls in bed with mommy when daddy is gone to work! She loves her own bed but there is confusion when daddy is gone in her mind so she feels more safe with me.

MissBrattified · #66 10-24-2007, 12:42 PM

When a baby is newborn, parents should respond to every cry. Period.

I have never been a fan of the "let them cry it out" theory. We have always had happy, well-adjusted, content babies. None of them were spoiled because they were held or given lots of attention.

That said, you have to identify the need and meet it. Babies NEED:

Food. Sleep. Attention. Affection. Nurturing. Cleaning. Diapers changed. Sleep. Attention. Food. Diapers. Sleep. Sleep. Oh, wait...the PARENTS need sleep....LOL!!!!!

That said: It is the parents job to properly interpret what the child needs and administer it to the child in a helpful and healthy manner. For instance, you don't want to greet every cry with food...he may not need food every time. You know whether or not he needs food based on the amount of time since the last time he ate, in addition to factors such as growth spurts, etc. You know if a baby hasn't slept in awhile, that they may be crying because they're tired. In my experience, a sleepy baby falls asleep fairly quickly, so if it takes too long, they're probably crying for another reason.

I'm not a fan of everything Dr. Sears espouses, but I do like this quote:

"Pick him up quickly, he'll get down quickly."

Good Article

Crying is the main method of communication from infant to parent. Parents should always listen and respond. A lack of communication WILL create behavioral problems and fussy babies.

As they get older, of course, throwing tantrums becomes an issue, and most parents can tell the difference between a cry and a tantrum. With your children, you will be the experts. A 6 month old really isn't capable of an intentional tantrum. The manipulation and premeditation involved hasn't been developed yet. At 1, they may have it a bit more refined.

I suggest reading, and lots of it.

People have always commented about how well-behaved and sweet our kids are. And we held them and played with them and talked to them and read to them ALL the time.

One other note: If your wife is exhausted, and needs you to take over with the baby for awhile, the answer is not to let the baby cry it out so she can have time to herself. That will just stress her out even more. Take the baby and pay attention to him and hold him and play with him and feed him, and keep him contented and happy for awhile so your wife can rest without any guilt or stress.

When I was a baby, I was so colicky that I cried constantly, and my parents and two of my older sisters had to take shifts holding me and rocking me at night. No one really ever understood the reason. When my son was born premature, the neonatologist informed us that premature infants are more inclined to be colicky, because of their undeveloped digestive systems, and the resulting sensitivity to formulas. Since I was born 5 weeks early, that could have very well have been the problem. I'm glad my parents didn't just leave me in the crib to "cry it out."

Ferd · #67 10-24-2007, 12:50 PM

The problem here is that this kids dad drinks HAZEL NUT CREAM COFFEE.

I mean good grief, you might as well be putting the kid in a tooto!

or just do what Renda said and all will eventually be well.

Also get yourself a TV and watch that show with Nanny Joe.

AmazingGrace · #68 10-24-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferd

The problem here is that this kids dad drinks HAZEL NUT CREAM COFFEE.

I mean good grief, you might as well be putting the kid in a tooto!

or just do what Renda said and all will eventually be well.

Also get yourself a TV and watch that show with Nanny Joe.

Sorry but thats funny!

My nephew I guess read a page of the thread yesterday where this was being discussed and this morning when I stopped to get coffee he goes I want a drink... then paused and asked.... does it have nazelhut in it?!?!?! Me and my sister cried for an hour over that one!!!!

myhaloisintheshop · #69 10-24-2007, 02:03 PM

Sounds to me as if he may be teething--and if so these were a Godsend to me! you can get them at walMart or Walgreens I know for certain

http://http://www.walgreens.com/stor..._sku=sku301999

And I never let my kids "cry it out" I wouldn't respond right away to their cries to see if they calmed theirselves at times.

BrotherEastman · #70 10-24-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darcie

Bro. E, your baby is most likely teething. It hurts more than we think. Buy some Orajel and put it on his gums when he's fussy. Now at night he may need some Motrin so he can sleep. Try it. My children had a terrible time teething.

I know there are times when he is teething, I'll get the orajel, thanks.