The first couple of weeks after your baby is born, she is a delicious-smelling adorable little bundle of sleepiness. You go around telling people, "oh, she is such a good baby! She never cries unless she is hungry! Must be because we have such gentle temperaments and stellar genes! Best.parents.ever!"
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Sleepy newborn goodness.
It isn't your gestation skills.
Being born is exhausting.
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And then? She turns, like, three or four weeks old. And suddenly she is a delicious-smelling adorable bundle of intermittent screaming and pooping and you are all, "my genes are tainted and my temperament is obviously flawed and woe! Copious amounts of woe!"
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Please, go on about how you had a calm baby
because you are a calm person.
LOL FOREVER
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I've had the pleasure of nurturing three adorable yet stubborn bundles of joy, and the key to calming all of them was a perfectly executed swaddle. I am a swaddle master at this point. I swaddled by reflux grouch, my trach/vent dependent drama queen, and my colicky scream queen.
Sure, there are lots of useful tips for new moms. People love to cram "useful" tips down your throat in the final weeks of lugging around your watermelon uterus. (Sleep when the baby sleeps! Worst.advice.ever.)
My favorite thing to cram down the new mom throat is this: Master the art of the swaddle.
Take care of every need that you can think of: feed that baby! Diaper that baby! Burp and give that baby some gas drops! If you are new to using gas drops, you should try St. Joseph Infants' Gas Relief drops. They help to break down gas bubbles that add to the cryfest extravaganza, and you can use them at every feeding. (Want a $3 coupon? Click here!)
Once you feel confident that you've done all that you can do to make your baby happy, then wrap that little glob of nomable fatness up as tight as you can.
Now. I know that swaddling can be hard, especially if you gestate tiny little swaddle ninjas. All of my babies have been little escape artists who could undo the most magnificent swaddle using magic and sheer will to scream. If the traditional swaddle doesn't work for you because you give birth to swaddle escape ninjas, there are a bunch of swaddle blankets out there.
Here are my top three tips for a good swaddle:
1. Make sure that your baby's arms are straight when you start the swaddle.
You want the blanket to be tightly wrapped! If the baby can wiggle those arms, the baby can get out of the swaddle, and the baby will scream, and then there is a good chance that you will scream too. You will feel like you are being mean as your baby screams and wiggles and fights the swaddle but DO NOT GIVE UP. Your baby craves the security of the swaddle as much as you crave the silence of a calm baby.
2. Legs in or legs out - it doesn't matter!
If your swaddle ninja appears to use her legs to push the swaddle off, leave her legs unwrapped. The arms matter the most because of the super fun startle reflex that takes your baby from peacefully sleeping to scared out of their mind screaming.
3. Don't let temperature freak you out.
Usually, overheating isn't a concern in the winter since it is chilly anyway. But in the summer, you may worry that your baby will overheat. If you need to, swaddle your baby in only a diaper to keep her cool. Or you can swaddle with a lightweight blanket. I used muslin swaddling blankets for my summer baby and she was always cool and comfortable, even when it was hotter than hades outside.
Tell me, friends, what is your #1 tip for new moms? Answer this question in the comment section below for a chance to win 3 packages of St. Joseph Infants' Gas Relief Drops. That's one for you and two to share with friends!
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