Dear Christine,
Greetings from across the seas! I read your column almost every day and thought I’d share my two cents’ worth of advice with readers who are new mums.
Usually I do not give my opinion to total strangers. However, I recently did. I was sitting at a table in a mall and two women were at the next table. One of them had with her a screaming infant in a “pram”. Finally, the mother lifted the baby into her arms and began bouncing it around. The baby cried even more, so the infant was put back in the “pram” with a disgusted thrust as she continued to scream.
I simply had to say something, being a mother myself. I told her: “The baby may be thirsty.” The mother found a bottle full of water and stuck it into the baby’s mouth. The baby not only stopped crying, but attacked the water as if its life depended on it.
I have heard women say about crying babies: “Don’t worry, the baby is just exercising her lungs.” Christine, a baby’s cry is a signal that something is wrong. The child may need feeding, he or she may be experiencing “bouts of gas pain”, or the child may simply be unwell. In some cases, the child’s “pampers” may need changing or he or she may just need some attention or assistance in getting to sleep. Of course, there could be various other reasons.
When a woman first becomes pregnant, a nurse in her doctor’s office should instruct her about care for a crying baby. When the baby cries, is she thirsty, hungry? Is the baby wet and in need of changing? Is she too hot or too cold? Are the bed clothes wrapped so tightly around the baby’s arms or legs that they are shutting off the circulation? The child should also be lifted completely out of the crib and a thorough check made to discover the reason for his or her tears.
Finally, new parents should learn how to take the infant’s temperature. If the temperature is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, take the baby immediately to a doctor or emergency room unless his or her doctor is willing and able to see the infant immediately.
– Dr B
Dear Dr B,
Thanks for your excellent advice.
Not every mother or dad (especially a new parent) is ready or prepared for parenthood. Many make bad choices in raising their children because they are uneducated when it comes to child rearing.
I wish it were mandatory for all first-time parents to attend special “educational” classes before their child is born. That way, some of the common mistakes they make after the child has entered the world could be avoided.
Babies do not come with special manuals attached to them. It’s either a case of parents learning as they go about the “early stage process” or they prepare themselves to be taught by those who “have been there, done that”.
For many children, child abuse starts when they are mere days or weeks old because “new parents” are not prepared for the time, effort, sleepless nights, financial burden, stress and everything else involved in raising young children.
Your letter should be an eye-opener.
Again, thanks for sharing.
– CHRISTINE