Bouncing for all the right reasons

With all the products on the market aimed at parents and promising to be the best soothing product available, it can be hard to discern what works and what doesn’t, or what you really want versus products that end up being a waste of time and money.

One product that many parents are interested in is the infant bouncer. There are a variety of models available, but overall this seems to be a pretty effective soothing method for many infants.

Soothing with a bouncer

Babies enjoy repetitive motion. This may be due to the fact that they were often in motion while in their mother’s womb, or because it is simply enjoyable to be bounced. Whatever the explanation, it can be hard on tired parents to bounce their infant constantly, which is where the infant bouncer is very useful.

When your baby is in the bouncer, he or she can be stimulated or soothed, and your hands are free to attend to other tasks. Bouncers come with a variety of features, including some that have multiple motion settings, so your baby will be entertained while he or she is awake and a more gentle setting can be used to lull the little one to sleep.

Remember, safety first

While there are a variety of infant bouncer models to choose from, make sure that any bouncer you use is sturdy, has a wide frame to avoid tipping issues, has a three or five point safety harness like the one on a car seat, and that your child is within the height and weight limitations for that particular model. This will ensure that your baby is safe while being soothed.

Whether you are a brand new parent or a seasoned veteran when it comes to dealing with babies, sometimes it can be difficult to figure out why your baby is crying. This is the second part of a two part post listing ten common reasons for infant tears to help you when you feel like you have run out of ideas why your baby won’t stop crying.

The Rest of the Top 10 Reasons Babies Cry:

1. Teething. The pain of teeth breaking through gums is tough for babies to handle, especially because they do not understand what is happening. If you run your finger across your baby’s gums, you will be able to feel new teeth pushing against the gums during teething, and you will know that this is probably why your little one is crying right now.
2. Temperature. If a baby feels to hot or too cold, he or she cannot take off their clothes or blankets to adjust their temperature, so they do what they do best – start crying so that you can fix it for them.
3. Dirty diaper. While some babies can sit in a dirty diaper for a long time without making a sound, others are immediately irritated by the feeling of a messy diaper.
4. Needs to burp. If your baby seems to get fussy after each feeding, you may want to try burping the baby to relieve some of the pressure of gas that might be bothering him or her.
5. Illness. If none of the other suggestions seem to fix what is bothering your infant, he or she might be coming down with something. Check for a fever and contact your baby’s doctor to see if this is the problem.

It can be hard for all parents, both new and experienced, to ascertain the cause of their baby’s tears sometimes. This is challenging because without knowing why your infant is crying, it is hard to calm them.

Here is the first half of a list of ten common reasons why a baby might cry to help you soothe your little one.

Top 5 Reasons Babies Cry:

1. Hunger. Babies need to eat often to get the nutrients they need during this important period of development, so your little one might be hungry more often than you think.
2. Tiredness. An infant also needs a lot of sleep, but sometimes they can be too stimulated to sleep. Putting them in a quieter, calmer, or darker environment might help them get the rest they need.
3. Hold me. Your baby loves to be snuggled and held, so he or she might be crying to tell you that they want to be picked back up.
4. Pain. Without words, your baby has trouble telling you that something hurts. It might be a tag in their new outfit or a hair wrapped around their toe – look for something that could be causing them irritation.
5. Colic. Not sure if those tears mean that your baby has colic? Keep track of how often he or she cries. If the tears last for more than three hours a day, more than three days each week, and more than three weeks in a row, your little one might have colic. Speak to your medical professional for more guidance about this condition.

Soothing sounds for baby

The sounds of an upset baby can be frustrating for parents, and even embarrassing if the baby is crying in a public place. Parents rush to soothe the baby, doing anything and everything they can think of to calm and soothe their little one.

One of the most effective ways that parents can soothe their babies is with soothing sounds.

Infants and noise have a unique relationship: a jarring noise can provoke tears, upsetting a baby while other sounds provide a consistent calming effect.  Three sources of soothing sounds include white noise, the voice of the baby’s mother, and lullabies.

3 Types of Baby Soothing Sounds:

-         White noise can be any sound that is consistent and serves as a noise barrier, muffling other jarring noises. It is thought that white noise mimics the sounds the baby heard while she or he was in the womb, so it is comforting to hear white noise outside of the womb as well.

-         Mother’s voice. Another sound the baby became accustomed to while developing in the womb was the sound it his or her mother’s voice, which allows them to find solace in her familiar tone now that they are surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds in the world.

-         Lullabies. Perhaps the “oldest trick in the book” when it comes to calming an infant, almost everyone can remember some of the songs they heard during their childhood. From “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to “You Are My Sunshine,” these songs are an easy way to calm your infant when he or she is upset.

The weather is heating up, and in many places, this is a great reason to get outside! As adults, we love the warmer weather, so it seems natural to want to share this with our infants.

3 “Can’t Miss” ideas for having a great time this summer with your baby:

• Blowing bubbles. Babies love bubbles, and since soapy bubbles can get sticky, this is an activity that is easier to enjoy when it can be done outside. Depending on the age of your little one, he or she might not be able to master blowing the bubbles on their own, but you will be able to bring big smile to their faces by blowing them gently and letting the baby touch and pop them.
• Get wet. Nothing feels as good as the water on a summer day, but this is something best done carefully with a baby. Babies don’t enjoy being splashed in the face, though, so be gentle when playing with a sprinkler or splashing in a pool. Drowning is also a major danger for little ones, so be very careful!
• Take a hike. Not literally, of course – a long hike could be more than a new parent and infant can handle. Taking a walk to run errands or just for fun is a great way to get outside and expose the little one to new sights. As the infant gets a little older, you can also work on developing a larger vocabulary as you identify new animals, objects, and places together.

Don’t forget a healthy dose of common sense

Everyone loves getting out and going during the summer. However, as babies are more sensitive to heat and sun exposure, make sure to temper outdoor activities with lots of shade and rest.

Use your parental instincts and make sure not to “over do” when it comes to being outdoors, especially with young infants.

Colic – not just for infants

When most parents hear the word “colic,” they immediately think of the infant colic that some babies develop – the crying that is inconsolable, occurs for no apparent reason, and is still a pretty big mystery to the medical community.

However, this is not the only type of colic that exists, despite what the parent of a child with colic might try to tell you!

That’s right – adults can get colic too, and unfortunately a swaddle blanket may not be able to help you get through it!

So what is biliary colic?

Biliary colic is a condition in which the patient feels sharp pain in his or her upper abdomen, either in the center or on the right side. This pain is the most common symptom experienced by people with gallstones, the hardened masses that form in the gallbladder.

These masses form when there is an abundance of certain elements, usually cholesterol, and they move from the gallbladder into the liver and intestines. Along the way, they can bump into sensitive areas or become lodged in certain openings or connections, causing blockages.

In either case, they cause the patient extreme pain and will continue to cause pain until they are removed. The pain usually comes and goes if the gallstones are mobile but will continue to occur until the gallstones are removed.

So who gets it?

Characteristics that make some individuals more likely to experience biliary colic include:

• Being overweight
• Eating foods that are high in fat
• Over twenty years of age

While biliary colic may not be a central concern to new parents, it is something to be aware of, particularly if you have any of the characteristics listed above. If you believe you may have biliary colic, contact your medical professional immediately.

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Colic is one of those things that you probably don’t care about – that is until you become a parent and have your new baby suffering from its effects. That’s when you need to learn everything you can – and fast!

Over the last month or so, Luna Lullaby has taken on this subject and is offering parents an in-depth look at the various types of colic, what causes colic, as well as lots of information on how to help soothe your infant and possibly avoid dealing with colic.

We sincerely hope that this information might help you learn something you didn’t already know and maybe give your little one a little comfort!

Advice from parents

Please note that all of our articles and blog posts are thoroughly researched before we post them. However, they should be considered as friendly advice from one parent to another, and never considered to be actual medical advice.

In fact, that’s how Luna Lullaby came to be in the first place. Parents helping other parents learn to soothe their children using the best techniques and products they can!

If your baby has colic, you are probably searching everywhere you can think of for suggestions and ideas about how to relieve his or her colic. While all parents of newborns struggle to adapt to sleepless nights and waking each time they hear the cries of their little ones, parents of colicky babies have a particularly difficult challenge before them as they learn to live with a screaming, crying child that they cannot soothe.

No definite right or wrong way

It is difficult to say that one specific technique or practice will be the right or best way of relieving colic in your infant because the causes of this difficult condition are so hazy and unknown. However, there are several ways that are often found helpful by parents when attempting to calm the cries of their colicky child, including the following tips.

Parent tested tips for relieving infant colic:

-        Swaddling. Wrapping the baby snugly in a soothing swaddling blanket such as the one offered by Luna Lullaby can be an enjoyable way to sleep more soundly for your little one.

-        Changing the baby’s feeding schedule. Instead of a few larger meals, consider trying more frequent, smaller meals to see if this aids in digestion.

-        Changing your own diet. If you are breastfeeding, some of the foods you consume may be irritating to your infant when he or she receives your breast milk. Re-evaluate your own diet and see if that makes a difference.

-        Adjust the position of the baby while feeding. If they are positioned correctly, feeding and digestion will be easier for the infant, making irritation less of an issue.

Summer is definitely here and most of us are taking every opportunity to get outside and take enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. For those with young children and infants, this is a great time to do new activities together as a family.

However, there are some safety concerns unique to summer, so it is a good idea to review these to make sure that you are keeping your little ones safe.

Sun safety

Babies are much more sensitive to sun exposure than adults or even children, so babies under six months should not be in the sunlight if possible. Putting sunscreen on a child this young is also not advised on a regular basis but can be done if there is no other option.

Hydration

As the temperatures go up, it is easier to get dehydrated. You will want to drink more water, but babies under six months should not be given water. They will probably want to feed more often to compensate for the loss of fluids, so you may want to speak to your doctor about how to adjust accordingly. After six months, small amounts of water along with juicy fruit are a great way to keep him or her hydrated!

Water safety

This is the biggest safety concern for infants and toddlers. There is no substitute for parental supervision near the water, but here are some other things to keep in mind:

• Buy a hard-sided splashy pool rather than an inflatable one
• A flotation device is not the same as a safety one. Use Coast Guard approved devices only.
• Do not allow a child in a kiddie pool if he or she is under 1 year of age.

With these tips, you are on your way to a great summer with your baby!