Types Of Cries

Babies express many different cries which "...numerous studies have proven are differentiated at birth, in time actually become indistinguishable" when parents rush in and don't listen and learn how to distinguish different cries. "When a baby is not responded to at all or if every cry is 'answered' with food, Baby learns that it doesn't matter how she cries-it always results with the same outcome. Eventually, she gives up and all her cries will sound the same." Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg with Melinda Blau

But what do you say?

Enforcing Naps

"Naps are not an option based on your baby's wants. When naptime comes, the baby goes down...Mom, not baby decides when the nap starts. Mom, not baby decides when the nap ends. If your baby wakes up crying or cranky, it's most often because he or she has not had sufficient sleep*. Other factors to consider are a dirty diaper, a noisy neighbor, sickness coming on, or an arm or leg stuck between the crib slats." On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D. (*disposition for a 4-6 month old)

But what do you say?

Eat Play Sleep or Eat Sleep Play?

Both books, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg with Melinda Blau and On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D., suggest a daily routine that goes like this:

Eat
Wake/Activity
Sleep

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg with Melinda Blau suggest this method verses Eat, Sleep, Play for two reasons, "One, the baby becomes dependent on the bottle or breast, and soon needs it to fall asleep. Two, do you want to sleep after every meal?...More often, you eat a meal and then go off to an activity...Why not offer the same natural progression to your baby?"

But what do you say?

Why Its Hard To Listen To A Crying Baby

One reason is because "you had a difficult delivery. Instead of focusing on the new baby, [the mothers] get stuck feeling sorry for themselves...feel guilty, especially if the baby had a problem-and they feel helpless." Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg with Melinda Blau

This is so true for me. With my daughter getting stuck in the birth canal and needing an emergency c-section, then developing an infection with severe jaundice and swelling of the head from the vacuum tries, she had to be in the NICU for 6 days. I feel so 'guilty' whenever I hear her cry, so I always rush right in to stop it. With all she went through, I feel terrible that when she does cry, I want to make her feel better, because I can control that. I couldn't control my delivery. This was an eye-opener when I read it. But the delivery wasn't my fault. She is okay now. No problems from the delivery and I need to remember she won't remember what happened.

But what do you say?

Get Babies Used to Household Noises

"Myth: Get Them Used to Sounds of the Household...Parents are often told its a good idea to accustom their babies to loud noises. I ask you, would you like it if I came into your room in the middle of the night while you were sleeping and played loud music? That's not respectful. Should you be any less considerate of your baby?"  Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg with Melinda Blau

Has anyone tried this myth and have it work?

But what do you say?

Picking Baby Up Too Much

"Yes, you can harm a baby by picking him or her up too much...Research has clearly demonstrated that immediate-gratification training negatively impacts a child's ability to learn, affecting the skills of sitting, focusing, and concentrating."  On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

My sister did not follow Baby Wise with her 4 year old daughter yet I believe she is the smartest 4 year old that I have seen. She not only knows how to spell and write her name, rewrite sentences by looking at them but she communicates very effectively. The phrases she says makes you wonder where on earth did it come from. The grammatical structure of the sentences are 'adult-like'. She can hear a story or see something one time and yet she'll remember that months down the road and talk about it like it was yesterday. I don't believe that picking your child up all the time lessens their focus or concentration on items later on in life.

But what do you say?

They Say...

We often gather information from books, articles, and conversations with others. Sometimes we take it with a grain of salt, other times we try and dissect what it is we learned. More times than not I hear people say, "They say..." and continue their thought with a fact, technique, or comment. Yes, I am one of those people.

It all started when I got pregnant. I started reading, "What To Expect When You Are Expecting". I'd make comments to my husband starting with the infamous phrase, "They say..."  Sometimes I'd get a response back asking, "Who's they?" I don't know, the authors, I guess are "they".

Now having delivered my daughter, I'm reading books on behavior, development, feeding and sleeping. "They say" has now become a household phrase. No one bothers to ask who "they" is anymore. There are too many of them. Too many authors, theorists, pediatricians, and consultants. Each with their own belief.

That is when I decided to create this blog. I'll put up someone's belief or theory and then ask for people to comment on it. Obviously, experience will matter here. Having only been a mother for 4 months, I am still in the "read everything" mode and apply what I feel works best. Let's see how it goes!