One of the things I found hardest about having a newborn baby was not knowing what they needed when they cried. First time around, with Little I, it took me a while to recognise what each of her different cries meant and I didn’t believe anyone who told me that I would be able to distinguish them with time. To begin with they all just felt loud and overwhelming. I did eventually start differentiating between her cries and could figure out whether she was hungry, tired or bored but it took time! I think a lot of us mums put pressure on ourselves to have it all figured out straight away when we actually need to give ourselves time to learn and bond with our new baby.
Second time around, with L, I felt like I learnt what might be wrong when he cried a lot faster but we had the added complication of his silent reflux and CMPA to contend with.
Care, the number one healthcare brand sold into UK pharmacy* and Penny Lazell, a qualified midwife and independent health visitor have put together some really helpful advice to help you comfort your little one.
“Babies are genetically programmed to call out for comfort when distressed”, says Penny. They cry when they need to alert you to something that is bothering them, either physically or emotionally, and require you to meet their needs. The more these needs are met and understood over time, the less your baby will cry as you will learn to understand what they want before they become upset.”
After reading through all of these, I’d say the cries I found hardest to pinpoint a reason for were the over stimulated and boredom ones. It is SO hard to settle an overstimulated baby. Especially before bed time!
Top 9 reasons why your baby might cry and what to do:
Hunger
Wet or dirty nappy
Tiredness
Pain
Boredom
Over stimulation
Wanting a cuddle
Being too hot or too cold
Transient Lactase Deficiency
Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops
Designed to reduce lactose content in milk, Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops help make digesting lactose easier for baby without delaying the feeding process. These drops can be used from birth, and are sugar, preservative and flavour-free. They are to be added to breast milk or infant formula prior to feeding. The lactase enzyme breaks down the lactose in breast and formula milk which should reduce the symptoms of Transient Lactase Deficiency. Unlike other preparations, Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops do not interfere with the feeding process, meaning a baby can be fed immediately (rather than waiting 30 minutes for the drops to take effect), which is great. Trying to keep a hungry baby calm while you wait to be able to feed them is no fun for anyone! Care Co-Lactase should only be used for as long as it takes the infant to produce enough of its own lactase enzyme as the gut develops – typically at around 3 – 4 months.
For more information about the Care range, click here. Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops (10ml), priced at £9.99 for 60 feeds, are available from Asda stores or online and independent pharmacies nationwide
These sorts of symptoms are very common in new born babies. Have you experienced them? Did you try an enzyme drop like this one?
*This is a collaborative post with Care Co-Lactase but all opinions are 100% our own.
* IMS Volume Data (MAT Feb 2016) and Care Ex-Factory Volume Data (MAT Feb 2016)