Of course, every baby's different and what works for one will not work for all, but for a few weeks of trial and error it's well worth exploring all the options available to you.
Routine You can't beat a consistent routine when it comes to structuring baby's day. If he knows what to expect and when to expect it, it will be no surprise when bedtime comes around.
Comfort Swaddling and dummies/pacifiers both offer comfort to a newborn. Swaddling helps the baby control his unruly arms and dummies offer oral comfort as the mouth and eyes are really the only body parts a newborn has any control over. A bottle or the breast directly before bedtime also provide this sucking comfort and ensure baby is comfortably full.
Plenty of Sleep Newborns need a lot of sleep - both at night and daytime naps - and it could be lack of naps that is stopping the nighttime sleep. Over tiredness will cause a baby to scream uncontrollably because they're just trying to block the world out so make sure he gets plenty of time to rest and process everything that's happened during the day.
Activities and Exercise On the flip side of that is activities and exercise. Baby will get very bored if he's stuck indoors all day so take him out and about. Let him experience new things (even if it is just a stroll around the supermarket) and you'll have one curious, and hopefully tired, little baby.
Dream Feed To extend the length of time baby can go through the nigh without waking for a feed try introducing a dream feed. Before you go to bed gently lift baby from the cot and let him drink from the bottle or breast. Baby won't wake up properly (which is why it's called a dream feed) but his belly will be full and he should give you a few hours uninterrupted rest.
Don't Give Up All babies are different and it may take a while to find out exactly what your baby needs. If you are struggling then make a note of when he sleeps and eats and when he gets grumpy and you'll soon work out an appropriate routine for him.
Your infant is crying constantly, uncontrollably. Your pediatrician is telling you "to wait it out" or worse - prescribing an acid reflux medicine with alarming possible side effects for reflux and colic. Chiropractic medicine may just be the alternative you're looking for. Many parents don't even consider going to the chiropractor for their infants but chiropractic pediatric treatment has been receiving more attention in the last 20 years.
Chiropractors aren't just for adults with bad backs. There are many chiropractic techniques that can help your infant recover from an arduous birthing process also known as Traumatic Birth Syndrome. During birth, the baby can experience trauma to the spinal column especially if a vacuum or forceps are used. Mothers who give birth lying on their backs hinder the birthing process by decreasing in the size of the cervical opening and not allowing gravity to help the process.
This can cause the delivering physician to have to twist and pull the baby forcefully causing subluxations to the spinal column. Subluxations are areas of interference to the nervous system caused by pressure or irritation from spinal bones. If labor is long, it can increase pressure on the neck of the baby and cause stress to nerves that control sucking and swallowing. When the vagus nerve is affected, colic may result due to poor digestion. Chiropractic medicine corrects subluxations in infants by gentle and subtle manipulations-not the snap-crackle-pop that come to mind with an adult chiropractic adjustment.
Your chiropractor can also suggest natural solutions for colic and reflux due to an immature digestive system. Most offices offer homeopathic remedies that can be an effective alternative to prescription drugs. Make sure to do some research into which chiropractors have the most experience working with infants.
Both Nicola Pedley & Cyndra Neal are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.