5 weeks old baby feeding all the time

5 Week Old Baby | Your Baby Week By Week

It’s now been 5 weeks since the birth of your beautiful sweet babe.

In addition to a physical growth spurt, which is common at 4-6 weeks old, this week will see significant brain development.

You might find this week particularly demanding. Hang in there, though, because in a few more weeks you’ll start to see the results of all this growth.

As new parents, remember to employ the village of support you’ve begun to build. Remain active in new mothers’ groups.

Sometimes knowing you’re not alone can be enough to help you cope with a challenging few days of parenting.

Every mother-baby pair is unique, of course, so each developmental change and physical growth spurt will be experienced a bit differently.

5 week old baby milestones

If your baby was born at term, at around five weeks old she will experience her first Wonder Week.

The first of ten recognizable developmental leaps in a baby’s first 18 months of life, leap one is all about changing sensations.

Wonder Weeks are typically accompanied by the three Cs – clinginess, crankiness, and crying.

Why is my 5 week old fighting sleep?

While your little one is processing the world around her and working through this infant development stage, you will find she will feed more frequently, be more wakeful, and need more help to settle.

A baby who might have been having longer stretches of five to six hours of sleep at night might now be waking more often and crying more.

Babywearing is one way to help your baby sleep during this time while still allowing you to get other things done.

If you haven’t yet worked out how to use the carrier you were gifted at your shower, now is the time to do it.

If you don’t yet have one, you can still offer your 5-week old baby the same closeness and connection by offering some extra skin-to-skin contact, lots of cuddles, and by gently rocking and dancing to help settle her.

If you don’t have a carrier, the good news is you can make a simple version out of a sheet or with old t-shirts. Just be sure you are wearing it high enough so you can kiss the top of your little one’s head and that your baby’s neck and head are well supported.

Babywearing and skin-to-skin contact are great ways to comfort your baby. Having your little one chest to chest with you also counts as tummy time, so keep your baby close!

Can a 5 week old baby be held too much?

Despite what you might hear, or what well-intentioned relatives sometimes tell you, experts agree it is physically impossible to hold or tend to your newborn too much.

Babies have very basic needs at this age. They need to be fed, held, comforted, and loved, and their main form of communication is crying.

Their growing brains are simply not capable of the sophisticated thought process involved in manipulative behaviors. When we respond to their cries, we are not spoiling them, or ‘making a rod for our own backs’, as you might hear frequently.

A newborn’s primal brain has a need for constant attention; responding to this need in a timely manner reinforces security and attachment. Not doing so is detrimental to your baby’s health.

Responding to their cries promptly shows our babies they are loved, and also teaches them to trust in the world with confidence.

This type of responsive parenting helps form healthy bonds, and teaches our babies to be confident and secure. This in turn will lead to more sleep, less crying and clinginess, and more independent behavior in the long run.

So go ahead. Give your baby all the snuggles she needs.

5 week old baby feeding

Most babies breastfeed more frequently during Wonder Weeks.

This is normal. Their brains are working hard and breast milk is brain food, so they need to access it often.

Your milk supply is designed to provide milk whenever your little one needs it; you don’t need to wait for it to build up before feeding again.

While you feed on one side, the other breast is actively making milk, ready to go again when needed.

The volume of the new milk might be low, but the fat content is at its highest – and it’s the fat that contains the highest calories and satisfies the baby’s hunger as she grows.

Allow your baby to feed at her own pace, whenever she’s ready, and she will regulate her needs.

Cluster feeding is normal during these growth spurts; your baby will simply go back to the breast repeatedly until she’s done.

You might not notice increased feeding in your formula-fed baby. This is probably due to the slower digestion; it takes longer for your baby to process formula and convert it to fuel for growth.

Your baby might seek feeds a little earlier than usual, or begin sleeping but then wake for night feeds she did not need before.

This is fine. Sticking to a rigid schedule of feeding will simply distress your baby and interfere with this natural increase in appetite.

Expressing milk

If you haven’t already, you might be thinking about expressing your breast milk.

Unless you need to do so as part of a management plan for breastfeeding problems, it’s a good idea to wait until breastfeeding is well established before you introduce this variation.

As well as making extra work for mothers, switching easily between breast and bottle can be a challenge to a baby’s ability, especially while she’s still learning. It is known as nipple confusion. It makes sense for a baby to learn one skill before tackling another.

Once you’re both ready, here are our 5 Tips To Help You Express Breastmilk Like A Pro.

If you’re not sure whether expressing is the right choice, or if you need further information, speak to your health visitor or healthcare professional for advice.

At five weeks most mothers find that breastfeeding is well established. If your growing baby has been gaining weight appropriately then this is a good time to pump or express some milk and allow someone else to use a bottle to feed baby.

Some babies will only tolerate this if the breastfeeding parent is away from the house. If your baby knows you’re there she might refuse the bottle. So take a few moments away from the house. Go for a walk or run an errand and see if it helps.

5 week old baby weight

Babies come in many different sizes. There is a huge range in ‘normal weight’ for babies.

We can talk about averages, but the most important thing is that your baby is growing on her own curve (growth centile) and meeting her milestones.

The average weight gain in the first year is 1-2 lbs (0.45-0.90 kg) per month.

Babies grow an average of 10 inches (25 cm) in the first year and their head circumference increases about 0.75 inches (2 cm) per month.

Talk to your baby’s doctor or healthcare provider if you have concerns about your individual baby’s weight or growth.

5 week old baby fussy

Not all crying in the fifth week can be attributed to a Wonder Week, so remember to try all your usual tricks as well as going with the flow.

A crying baby is distressing – as it’s meant to be. Nature planned it that way so you don’t just ignore your baby when she cries. Nature has also given you a couple of really reliable ways to help her when she cries; you might be surprised to hear what they are.

Find out in our article Two Things Proven By Research To Reduce Infant Crying.

If your little one is unsettled in the evenings, make sure you’re familiar with our article on Surviving The Arsenic Hour: 8 Tips To Cope With An Unsettled Baby.

5 week old baby sleep

Having a flexible bedtime routine can calm both of you at the end of the day when you are feeling unsettled.

Warm baths, singing songs, infant massage, rocking, and telling stories can be sweet ways to soothe your baby, and your frazzled nerves.

If you feel you are running out of options, here’s a handy article to read: Baby Still Crying And You’ve Tried Everything? 6 More Things to Check.

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Wind and reflux

Your 5 week old baby might be unsettled after eating.

Discomfort due to trapped air in her stomach will prevent her falling asleep easily or might be keeping her awake.

Babies often swallow more air when bottle feeding, or if they have cried for an extended period before feeding. Helping your baby burp can sometimes be a challenge. A relaxed and vertical baby will usually burp more easily after a feed.

It can help to offer a couple of opportunities to burp during the feed, to release any build-up of air as your baby relaxes.

Whatever positions you use to encourage a burp, avoid having your 5-week old baby slumped in a position that might prevent air from rising.

Keeping her upper body vertical will allow any air to work its way up the esophagus, rather than be trapped in her stomach.

Many breastfed babies don’t swallow much air while feeding, especially once they gain a good suck-swallow-breathe pattern. Simply snuggling her upright against your body for 10-15 minutes after she comes off the breast will usually allow any trapped air to rise naturally.

If a burp doesn’t appear and your baby is settled or asleep, don’t waste time trying to relieve something which might not exist.

If an air bubble is there but not bothering the baby, it will resolve itself next time you hold her vertically.

It’s ok for babies to bring up some milk along with trapped air.

Some babies will bring up a lot of their feed and then go back on the breast to fill the space they have just created.

That’s fine. Follow your baby’s lead; she knows what she needs.

Some reflux is normal and only becomes a problem if it’s causing pain for the baby.

Often it’s simply a result of a fast flow of milk from the breast – a case of too much too quickly. The baby’s stomach rejects it and she starts again.

It can also be a sign of over-supply, which you can read more about here: Oversupply Of Breast Milk – 7 Signs Of An Oversupply.

Baby acne

Just as you are starting to take more outings, have more visitors, and take newborn pictures your baby might develop baby acne.

Baby acne can start as early as 2 weeks old but tends to peak at 4-5 weeks.

Although it might be upsetting to see your sweet baby’s face covered with acne, be assured that newborn acne will resolve by itself, without any treatment, by six to eight weeks old.

Don’t use any creams or acne treatments on your baby’s skin and do not pick or pop any of the pimples.

Baby acne is caused by the hormones that were transferred from your placenta and are still present in your baby.

If your baby’s acne is occurring in other places as well as her face, and if it is drier and more scaly, she might have eczema. If you’re concerned, you can mention this at your next pediatrician or doctor check-up.

Read more in Baby Eczema: Tips For Healing Breakouts.

Cradle cap

Another thing you might notice is something that’s dubbed ‘cradle cap’.

This yellowish flaky crust on the baby’s scalp (and sometimes on the forehead or eyebrows) is usually caused by overactive sebaceous glands and is also very common.

Cradle cap usually resolves on its own at around 3 months but might linger for much longer.

You can use coconut oil or olive oil on the scalp to soften the area.

For more information and tips for treatment see our article Cradle Cap and Cradle Cap Treatment.

Play and development

You are now into your second month of parenthood. Where has that time gone?

At this age, your baby will begin to enjoy looking at faces in books and interacting with visitors and strangers even more.

Right now, she is cataloging facial expressions – the more, the better!

You might start to see a real smile whenever she sees faces or hears voices she recognizes.

What should I be doing with a 5 week old baby?

Social interaction is an important aid to your 5-week old baby’s development. Keep your baby near you throughout the day so you can chat and smile.

A day with your baby will be somewhat dictated by her feeding and napping schedule, but if you carry your baby in a carrier you’ll be able to get some things done with your baby riding along.

It takes some adjustment but having your baby join your life and daily routines will ultimately benefit you both.

You’ll notice that your baby has much more alert time now, and spends slightly more time awake and taking in the sights, than she spends asleep. Use this to your advantage.

Tummy time is still important to help develop and strengthen the muscles.

Have some focused playtime with your little one and then start to bring her out into the big wide world.

This is the beginning of a grand adventure.

Although this week of growth and leaps in your baby’s development might be rough, remember that new skills she’ll develop over the next few months are just around the corner.

My Baby Wants to Breastfeed All the Time! Is This Normal?

Frequent Feeds Are Very Common!

In the first few days after birth, it is very common for newborns to feed constantly, probably around 12 or more times per 24 hours. Newborn babies drink very small amounts frequently in the first 1-2 days.

Most newborn babies only drink about a teaspoon (5-7ml) of colostrum at each feed on day one. This is just perfect as their tummy is about the size of a cherry and holds about 7mls at each feed on day one! Perfectly designed!

By day two you start to make a little bit more colostrum at each feed and this gradual increase in milk each day stretches bub’s tummy allowing them to drink more.

Colostrum is a sugary delicious drink but it is not jam-packed with fat at this stage, which means baby needs to keep feeding very often to stay full up.

Remember, every time your baby feeds it helps your breasts build your milk supply in the first month. As your milk increases in volume, from around day 3 onwards, you will notice your baby starts to have longer sleep periods of around 1.5 – 3 hours mostly.

During the first month, newborn babies need to feed on average 8 – 12 times every 24 hours to ensure they are getting enough milk and that you stimulate the breasts enough to keep building your milk supply. One you have established a good milk supply in the first month you may find that your baby changes their feeding pattern again. Many mums report this happens around 6-8 weeks after birth.

After this first month, research has shown us that babies will breastfeed anywhere from 4-13 times every 24 hours, but most babies still feed on average 10-11 feeds every day.

Each mum and baby’s breastfeeding pattern is different and this is perfectly normal. It is just down to the levels of fat in your milk (and fat levels change throughout the day) and the amount of milk your breast can hold at each feed, as well as how your baby is feeling.

Babies Find Breastfeeding Relaxing

Most babies find breastfeeding very comforting and, just like if we feel upset a hug can do wonders. Likewise, a short extra breastfeed does the same for calming our babies!

Do not compare yourself with another mum and baby’s feeding pattern. It will most likely be completely different from yours. Trying to “force” your baby into strict routines often brings with it tears and stress for mum and bub!

There are, of course, some mums who say that a routine was the best thing for their baby. But these babies are probably the very small percentage of babies who naturally feed every 4-5 hours and would’ve gotten themselves into a strict schedule anyway!

For most babies, a strict routine does not work! Try and go with the flow, listen to your baby’s cues for when they would like a feed and feed them. Just like us, they will not stick to the same “routine” every day.

I bet you didn’t have the same things to eat, in the same quantity, at the same time, with the same glasses of water, cups of tea or snacks as you have today! So why do we think this is normal for our babies?!

Cluster Feeds Continue After the First Few Days

Most mums report that their baby feeds frequently and is unsettled more so during the evening hours, most commonly between 6 – 10pm. Mums often say that their baby wants to be held constantly and feed “all the time” and that baby cries when put down in their cot.

This is a very normal and common behaviour for babies who are otherwise content during other parts of the day, feeding and gaining weight well and are generally healthy.

Babies do have these periods of cluster feeding, often most present between 2 and 9 weeks of age, but of course some babies will have these periods for several more weeks and still be totally healthy.

Researchers think it is a developmental stage that all babies naturally need to go through. There are a huge number of processes going on in a baby’s brain in the first year. Babies can easily get overwhelmed or dysregulated in the first few months in particular.

Babies who are overtired or overwhelmed, find it hard to calm down by themselves in the first few months of life and need someone to help them. And what better way to be calmed than having a breastfeed, which of course is not just food, but also a pain reliever and a happy hormone giver!

Also, being held and rocked allows baby to feel safe and warm, like being back in the womb. So, it makes sense that they need to be held and fed so much in the evenings after a big day in the big wide world!

Normal Can Still Be Tiring!

Even though this is normal, it doesn’t stop it being exhausting. So, it’s important to note how you are feeling and coping.

Some of us have another person around to help us out, whilst other new mums have to manage alone during the cluster feeds. Regardless of your situation, it is important to realise that cluster feeding is normal.

If you are responding to your baby by holding them and feeding them, yet they are still crying in-between feeds you are not causing harm to your baby, you are still showing them love and they will calm when they are able to.

The other thing to remind yourself is that this is temporary. It is important to not place any demands on yourself during these times. Try preparing dinner at times in the day when baby is sleeping well and just re heat and eat when you can during the cluster breastfeeds!

If you have support, share the holding and rocking of baby with another person to give you a break. If you do not have supports around at that time, listen to your instincts; if you are starting to feel like it is all too much and you feel worried that you are not coping, place your baby safely in their bassinet and walk away to calm down for a few minutes, before coming back to hold baby again.

You could also try knocking on the door of your neighbour, who you know and trust, and asking them to hold your baby for 15 mins or so to give you a break.

Most people will understand and, if they have children, they will have gone through the same themselves. Doing this will not harm your baby, but, will give you time to relax a little and recharge.

If you are finding that you are not coping during other parts of the day then it is important to talk with your GP or contact PANDA http://www.panda.org.au/ for some extra help and support.

If you are concerned that your baby’s crying seems abnormal and you are worried if your baby may be unwell. Please get first line advice from these helplines (below). They will be able to give you support and further guidance:

Health Direct helpline (covers all of Australia) 1800 882 436

Maternal and Child Health Nurse 24-hour helpline on 13 22 29 (if you are in the state of Victoria)

Other Things Which Can Help to Relax Babies During Cluster Feeding Times

Skin to skin contact

Having a bath with your baby – only do this if you have another person to help you and baby in and out of the bath and keep you both safe.

“Rocking your pelvis like Elvis” – Whilst holding your baby, try some rocking and swaying moves whilst holding baby either upright, over your arm like superman or in a cradle hold. Each baby will be different in the positions they prefer. You Maternal and Child Health nurse can show you positions for holding and calming babies.

Carrying your baby in a sling. This keeps baby nice and close and creates a womb like environment.

As you rock your baby make a loud “shuuusssshhhh” noise. This is actually calming for babies as it mimics the sounds of being inside the womb.

Try taking 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed before breastfeeding baby to ensure you are relaxed and not tense.

Make sure you get extra sleep in the day time, even if you don’t feel like it make sure you lay down in a darkened, quiet room to rest your body and brain. Over the next few days you’ll soon be drifting off to la la land easily.

Lastly, remember that you cannot spoil a baby by holding them too much. All the information about spoiling babies came out of textbooks written in the early 1900’s!

We have known for years and years that holding and listening to your baby’s needs is the best thing to do, yet we still hear this very bad advice! So listen to your gut instinct and cuddle, love and feed your baby as they need it. This phase will pass and get easier over the next few weeks.

For more information head over to our Medela Australia Facebook page.

Do you ever feel like your baby wants to feed all the time, especially at certain times during the day? Let’s have a chat and support each other!

Why does the child constantly hang on the chest? ❤️ KIDY.

Not enough milk?
Temporary crises
What to do in temporary crises?

“My baby just hung on my chest. I know what to feed demand, but he demands endlessly. What to do?!" - is the most common question to lactation consultants. It turns out that the phrase "the baby is hanging on the chest" means different things for everyone.

It happens that mothers expect that the baby will ask for a breast every 3-4 hours, eat 15 minutes, and sleep the rest of the time. And the requirement of the breast once every 1.5-2 hours, as most newborns do, is alarming. So: if a baby of the first months of life asks for a breast every hour or two and, having received it, eats up to half an hour, then this is not “hanging”, but the normal behavior of the baby. Over time, the baby will begin to ask for breasts less often, but for now you need to wait. For the mother's body, frequent feedings are also useful: they help a good contraction of the uterus, prevent the development of postpartum complications and regulate the total amount of lactation so that the mother does not experience milk stagnation. It happens differently: the baby asks for breasts in 2-3 hours, but, having received it, eats for an hour or even longer. This may be a variant of the norm, but the situation can be improved. Also, carefully look at the general state of affairs with feeding, if the child lives in the rhythm of “an hour I eat - an hour I rest” or spends more time on the chest during the day than without it.

Not enough milk?

Usually the first thing a mother thinks about is that if a newborn is constantly hanging on her chest, then she does not have enough milk. Absolutely not necessary! But you need to check this version. And only weight gain can reliably show this.

Do not rush to get upset, this can be fixed!

Have a lactation consultant look at your feeding. He will suggest ways to improve, assess whether supplementary feeding is needed and whether lactation should be stimulated.
If a consultant is not available, look for improved attachment to the breast. Often this is enough for the breast to begin to be better stimulated to produce milk, and the child to suck out this milk better.
If the baby has gained a kilogram or more in a month, then we are not talking about a lack of milk. Most likely, you can think of a temporary crisis ...

ATTENTION - this is a very important point!
Often mothers are asked to express milk, evaluate breast size, etc. for testing. But these are all very unreliable signs that are different for all women and they don’t talk about the amount of milk. In mothers, the breast reacts differently to pumping, the amount of glandular tissue is different for everyone (in a small breast it can be much more than in a large one, where adipose tissue predominates). The only thing you can really trust is how your baby grows and gains weight.
For the first 3 months of life, an increase that indicates a sufficient amount of milk - from 500 grams per month or more.

If a child gained 500-700 grams in a month, but he had to hang on his chest for hours, the mother needs to work on organizing breastfeeding, otherwise the situation usually worsens later. If your baby added less than 500 grams, then, alas, he really does not have enough milk.

Temporary crises

These are situations of a sharp increase in breastfeeding or a sharp increase in the duration of feeding. Every nursing mother faces this, it’s just that someone understands what is happening, someone gets scared, and someone simply, out of ignorance, takes steps to stop breastfeeding.

Crises are caused by various reasons:

Adaptation crisis when new circumstances appear in the baby's life . Usually adaptation crises: the second week of life, moving or going to work, travel. The baby is trying to calm down and regain confidence in her mother's support through more frequent attachments. The crisis can also be provoked by internal factors: for example, a child is preparing to fall ill, and through an increase in attachment, his body fights the disease with the healing elements of breast milk. Babies also tend to hang on their chests before any kind of developmental leap (usually new skills, such as crawling or walking). Mom's milk and attention give the baby the strength to conquer new heights.
Growth spurt crisis . These growth spurts are tied to certain periods of a baby's life: about three weeks, a month and a half, three months, six and nine. During such periods, many children actively grow. For such rapid growth, babies need more nutrition than usual, so they quickly empty their breasts, which gives mothers the impression of “missing milk”. There is actually milk in the chest, just on crisis days the child eats it much more energetically and is ready to constantly ask for breasts, to eat more and more.

The most seemingly obvious option to supplement with formula often becomes a “red flag” for the mother’s body: you don’t need so much milk, the child manages anyway. As a result, milk production really begins to decline rapidly.
In a crisis situation, it is important not to panic, but for a couple of days, literally lie down with the baby in bed and patiently feed, shifting from one breast to another as it is empty. You can drink hot tea, use lactogons, but this is not enough without frequent feedings. And most importantly, crises are a very short-term phenomenon, they rarely last longer than 2-4 days!

What to change?

Let's go back to the most common situation with "chest hanging": the baby gains weight only slightly above the lower limit (500-700 g in the first three months of life or 400-500 g in the next three months). When, with such increases, the child is applied to the breast every 2-3 hours for about half an hour, this is expected. But if the feedings are more frequent and longer, then sucking is ineffective: the baby sucks out a portion of milk for a very long time, enough to eat.

What to do?

Adjust breastfeeding to the so-called “asymmetric” . When feeding, the breast should be captured deeper from below than from above: the main working parts of the baby's mouth (lower jaw and tongue) are located below, and stimulation from this side should be maximum. This method of application allows the baby to receive milk most efficiently and stimulate the breast to produce new milk.
Bring the baby to the breast at such a height that the nipple is at the level of the spout. On the chest, form a crease with the nipple in the middle so that the thumb is on top of the crease and opposite the baby's nose, and the index and other fingers are below, parallel to the baby's lower lip. When a child feels a breast nearby, he reflexively opens his mouth and throws his head back; then the nipple, which was at the level of the nose, will be directly opposite the mouth. And at this moment, the fold from the chest must be directed into the child's mouth, trying to make the nipple point upwards into the sky. If everything is done correctly, then the baby’s head will be slightly tilted up when sucking, the chin will be tightly pressed to the chest, and the nose is either completely free or touches the chest only with the tip. If the chin does not touch the breast, but the nose is pressed into it, then this is just inefficient sucking, in which the baby has to suck for a very long time to eat, and even the nipples can be injured.
To increase the amount of milk received per feeding session and reduce the application time, make sure that the feeding is effective . It is a mistake to continue to keep the baby on the chest after he has already emptied it. If the baby has eaten the bulk of the milk from the breast and continues to suck, receiving drop by drop, a teaspoon in five minutes, then it is not surprising that he will not be particularly full after an hour. At the same time, if the mother simply transfers the child to another breast, in the same time the baby will receive a full, good portion of milk and eat much better!
“But I heard that the breast should not be changed often, otherwise the baby will not receive hindmilk,” mothers object. Alas, this recommendation has created a lot of problems where they could have been avoided: it only applies to situations of excess milk production. If the lactation is so profuse that the baby has to swallow the lighter foremilk for a long time and actively before he gets to the fatter hindmilk, this makes sense. But if there is not much milk, then the child eats both the anterior portion and the fatter posterior portion, and after that continues to squeeze the last drops out of the breast for another half an hour, instead of receiving the second same portion from the other breast. ..
Pay attention to the baby's sucking rhythm to help you navigate the timing of the breast change. Forward, more liquid milk flows freely, the baby swallows it quickly and actively. Then the rhythm of the sips slows down, for several sucking movements there is only one swallowing. When the baby has to make 3-4 sucks before swallowing, it means that he has reached fatter and thicker milk.
A little more - and the rhythm is already five or six sucks per sip, the chest is almost empty. At this point, squeeze the breast at the base with one hand, which will squeeze the rest of the fatty hindmilk into the ducts. After the baby swallows a little more actively, but when his throat slows down again, it's time to change the chest.

Sometimes during times of crisis, it is necessary to transfer the baby from one breast to another several times during one feeding. But this is more effective and will give the child more benefit than keeping him all this time on one breast. When the baby begins to eat better, you will soon notice that the total feeding time has become shorter, and weight and height gains are better.

And don't hesitate to contact our consultants for help!

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Why does the baby cry - articles from the specialists of the clinic "Mother and Child"

Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT)

Clinic "Mother and Child" Kuntsevo,

I want to eat!

Most often, babies cry because they want to eat. And to understand that he is hungry is the easiest way. At first, the baby shows concern, smacks his lips, turns his head to his mother's hand, stroking his cheek, tries to put his own fist in his mouth. All this means that there is very little time left before the hungry cry. Noticing such signs, you should not wait: feed the baby on demand. Otherwise, starting to cry, he will have to spend a lot of energy trying to calm down, and therefore, he will eat less and the next time he will get hungry again too soon. In general, for children who are breastfed, during the first month of life there is no clear feeding regimen. A newborn can be applied to the breast up to 10-12 times a day.

I want to sleep!

The next reason for screaming is, oddly enough, the desire to sleep. Many parents think that a baby can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, and even in almost any position. No, it's not like that - he needs help. How do you know if your baby wants to sleep? It's easy to guess. At first, he will behave restlessly, cry, push out the pacifier, rub his eyes, yawn. And then he starts crying. Here, too, it is necessary to try to calm the child as quickly as possible so that he does not disperse in crying, otherwise it will be more difficult for him to fall asleep. Rituals will help: you can shake the baby, sing a song, put it in the usual sleeping place.

I'm wet!

Crying can be a signal that the baby is uncomfortable, such as a wet diaper. Cold and wet, they irritate the skin, so he screams: “Mom, dad, change me quickly!” Crying about this is whimpering, incessant, although it sounds either stronger or weaker, it may be accompanied by hiccups, as the child freezes in wet diapers. If the diaper is changed, and the baby is warmer to cover, he will calm down. If the child is not in diapers, but in reusable diapers, you should not relax either: they can leak or get wet inside. So, the baby is also wet and cold. If the child sleeps in one diaper all night, then he may be disturbed by a greatly increased diaper volume. And of course, children do not like to be in dirty diapers (diapers): feces quickly irritate delicate skin.

I'm hot!

If the baby is hot, he will also cry about it. He will begin to whimper, scatter his arms and legs, his skin will turn red, a small red rash (prickly heat) may appear under his clothes. At the same time, the temperature of the baby sometimes even rises to 37.5 ° C. This is what saves here: the child must be undressed (and removed diapers, especially disposable ones), wiped with a towel moistened with water at room temperature, and allowed to lie in the air for several minutes. Then you need to dress the baby, but in other, clean clothes. In the fight against overheating and prickly heat, a reasonable amount of clothing and a comfortable room temperature - no higher than 24-25 ° C will help, first of all.

I'm uncomfortable!

The reason for the inconvenience can be any: the child may scream when the temperature changes, when changing clothes, changing the diaper or wiping his bottom with a damp cloth. Newborns feel more comfortable when they are dressed or wrapped in diapers, because the touch of air on the skin is not always pleasant for them. In addition, children often do not like to be changed, especially if it is winter and you have to wear a lot of clothes. There is only one way out: learn to act as quickly as possible, causing the crumbs a minimum of inconvenience.

A few words about clothes. It is better not to buy clothes with fasteners on the back and coarse seams inside - the baby may not like it. And sometimes even the slightest thread or hair caught between the clothes and the skin of the baby causes him great inconvenience.

I want attention!

Attention and tactile sensations are very important for a child. He loves to see the faces of his mom and dad, hear their voices, communicate with them. But so far, the baby cannot ask his parents to take him in his arms, read him a fairy tale, sing a song, play - but this does not mean at all that he does not need it. Therefore, crying, the baby wants to be paid attention to, requires communication. Do not worry that the baby will get used to the hands too much. While he is so small, he needs to feel a sense of security - it is this that will later help him gain confidence in his abilities. Well, different cradles, deck chairs, playpens, child seats will only help mom and dad free their hands and at the same time place their beloved child next to them.

Once you learn to understand your baby's “language”, you will see that the reasons for crying vary from case to case. A little time and patience - and very soon you will understand what the child wants, already from the first seconds of his discontent.

Make an appointment

to the doctor - Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Clinic "Mother and Child" Kuntsevo

Pediatric otorhinolaryngologyFor childrenDispanserizationMonitoring of children at homeMonitoring of children with developmental disabilitiesPaediatric emergency care

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Clinical Hospital MD GROUPClinical Hospital Lapino-1 "Mother and Child"Children's Clinic KG "Lapino" on New Riga (branch)Clinic "Mother and Child" KuntsevoClinic "Mother and Child" SavelovskayaClinic "Mother and Child" South-WestClinic "Mother and Child" » Novogireevo

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