When my first baby was born, I did not want to take him off my hands. I held him throughout the day until there was nobody to help me with the household chores. There was only me and my husband were at home to do everything after our parents left. Then only we realized how much our baby loves to be snuggled. I rocked him for hours, and at the moment I kept him down, he started to whimper as if he was in pain.
Sleep and rest are needed the most when you are with a newborn, but you will get very little or none of them at all. If your baby cries every time you try to put him down to sleep, it will frustrate you. You are not alone in this struggle because most babies love the warmth of their parents and hate when they have to get away from that.
But, the parents also need a break rather than attending to the needs of the baby all day. In this article, we will look at the reasons why your baby cry when you put him down and how to handle to manage the habit of crying when put down.
CONTENT
1. Why does my baby cry when I put him down?
2. Can my baby get spoiled from holding for too long?
3. What to do if my baby cries when I put him down?
1. Why does my baby cry when I put him down?
The babies are born with a need to be held in the arms of their mothers and to be touched affectionately. They feel more secure and safe when they know that you are around them. The physical touch is the best way for them to know you are near them. When you put him in a bassinet or a crib, he no longer feels his warmth, and it takes away the feeling of security he had while being on your arm.
The baby has only one way to let you know his disappointment which is crying. So each time you put him down, he will cry out loud to let you know his feelings.
Your baby is attached to your touch since they are born. The babies will also experience separation anxiety between the age of eight months to twelve months. This is a developmental phase that every baby will pass through, and as your baby grows up, they will be fine sleeping and playing on their own. T
hey will also get the sense of object permanence with age. Then they will be sure that people and things exist even when they cannot see them. Therefore, this seemingly distressing habit will fade away with time.
2. Can my baby get spoiled from holding for too long?
NO! You can never spoil a baby by offering too much love. In fact, there is nothing called “too much” love. The babies deserve all the love you can give them. You brought them to this world and you hold the responsibility of keeping them happy and healthy. The only problem here is that you have other things to get done. You cannot hold the baby all the time.
There are safe alternatives to holding a baby, but none of them can replace the warmth of a parent’s arms. As your arms need a rest, you can invest in a baby swing, pack N play, or a baby jumper. In the linked articles, I have discussed how to use these devices without affecting the health and growth of your baby.
3. What to do if my baby cries when I put him down?
Establish a bedtime routine
There is no right time to start a bedtime routine. You can start it from day one. The bedtime routine can include few simple steps such as taking a bath and singing a song.
The babies learn fast from consistency. When you follow the bedtime routine and put him down to sleep at the same time, soon he will realize that bedtime is for sleep. It will help him to sleep better and not to wake up when you keep him in the crib.
Get used to the crib.
If your by spends his entire day in your arms, it will be difficult for the baby to sleep alone in his room. The bedroom will be a whole new environment for him. When you leave the baby in this unfamiliar environment, his wailing is totally understandable.
You will have to let your baby play and nap in his bedroom during the daytime. Put a toy or two into the crib when you are supervising his playtime. Put him in the crib and talk to your baby in a comforting tone. Having his daytime naps in the crib will also make the room and the crib familiar to the baby.
4. When to be concerned?
If your baby cries a lot in the evening even before you put him to bed, this can be a symptom of colic. 11% of the babies get colic during the first six weeks of their life. Only 0.6% of the babies get colic by the tenth to the twelfth week. If you suspect that your baby has colic, meet your pediatrician soon. Read this article to know how to help a gassy baby.
The babies go through the Period of Purple Crying that can be observed in a completely healthy and happy baby. This developmental phase can be mistaken for colic. But it is always good to seek the opinion of your pediatrician.
