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My daughter is 10 weeks old and she always freaks out when I put her down for anything. Whether it's sleep, when I make her a bottle, or tummytime... is this normal? She didn't used to do this...and also is there such a thing as too much tummytime?

Jill Wodnick Replied: Dear One, thank you for taking to the time to communicate your concerns. At ten weeks, your baby's digestive system is still considered immature, so extra special nourishing and being 'in arms' really matters physiologically. If she seems to be crying excessively, you may want to check about an ear infection, that makes babies really cry when they are put down. Tummytime is great, but again, her neck may not be able to sustain the amount of time...have you tried wearing her in a sling, this will give her great skin to skin contact and help you meet her needs....keep writing and let us know how you are doing!
Posted On 2009-07-26 18:45:37

Christine Hierlmaier Nelson Replied: I'm not sure what you mean by "freaks out." Does she cry and fuss? Babies cry as a means of communication. It doesn't mean that your daughter is in pain or in danger if she cries when you put her down to sleep or to make her a bottle. Crying won't harm her. She may really enjoy being held, especially if you hold her a lot. But babies do need time to stretch their legs and strengthen their muscles. They should be put to bed while awake so they learn how to put themselves to sleep. This will help you as a parent get enough sleep so that you can have more patience when she's crying! Babies also go through phases of happy and cranky times, depending on their developmental stage. Try to keep a consistent routine as much as your life allows and don't feel guilty about giving her some "breathing" room without you.
Posted On 2009-05-11 21:34:31

Amy Adams Replied: Don't stress out that your newborn is resisting when her one-on-one time is being revoked, to some degree; this is very natural! Here are a few things you can try, to make these times a bit easier on you and will hopefully allow you a bit of freedom, but at the same time will provide some comfort for your precious new baby! First. you can try a "Snugli" or other type of sling product and you can also try "swaddling" your newborn. It's important to recognize the close quarters provided in the womb, so why not try and replicate it? Too, another idea I came up with was to place my baby on his/her side and hen place my breast pads close to the face. You will want to be sure that you are supervising your little one during this time, so that if the baby drifts to sleep, you can place the baby in your doctor's recommended position of sleep. This is just a strategy for comfort that can soothe your anxious baby, but isn't necessarily a fix-all cure. Bear in mind too that it's OK for your baby to cry and voice her resistance to change. This will help you bond with her, understand her wants and learn how to work with those wants. As for "tummy time". be sure you're always vigilant when your newborn is taking advantage of this time. It's easy for a newborn to get exhausted, lie on his/her face and then possibly suffocate. "Tummy time" is great and really helps to strengthen your baby's neck muscles, and is a great alternative to sitting in a carrier or swing. I always know when babies have been on their backs too long, because their heads are often flat on the back side! Take just as much time to coddle your little one in your arms and on her back and interact with her on her back, as well as her tummy!
Posted On 2009-03-20 02:02:51