How many of us have wished to be babies once again and never grow up at all? We think being a baby is the best and easy. You eat, sleep and pee. There are no responsibilities, crisis moments or stress right?
But only when we put ourselves in that position do we realize how difficult it actually is. A baby is the mercy of the mother of caregivers. She can’t move or feed herself. She doesn’t have the maturity to understand why she’s feeling uncomfortable and how to settle down. Does that sound fun now?
How To Prevent Stress In Your Baby?
Your baby is dealing with a lot of things at once. It’s her first time on earth and she still has deep survival instincts within her. This means, your baby will feel safe and secure when with a caregiver and may feel stress and fear when she isn’t.
Though you know that sh is safe in the crib or in your friend’s arms, your baby dos not know this. Her inner alarms go off and warn her of potential danger when away from hr caregivers.
What Causes Stress In Babies?
Your baby is constantly learning from the moment she’s outside your womb. She is learning to adjust to the light, the colors and the voices in the world. Her brain is developing rapidly trying to cope up with her surroundings. Her emotions are beginning to build and her hormones are just yet sensitive.
Stress can be caused in infants due to hunger, fear or being in new unfamiliar environments. Further, overtired and having an unsettling feeling can also trigger stress in babies.
A stressed baby is not crying always. Generally, if your baby cries for a long time and then suddenly stops, we mistake it as she is settled and comfortable now.
But what actually happens in such times is, your baby shuts down so as to conserve energy while the stress hormones are still flowing in her body.
Crying does not always mean your baby is stressed. Crying in your arms, crying whilst you’re getting ready or when put down for a minute or two does not trigger stress.
Crying is your baby’s way to communicate with you. They cry to let you know thy need something or that something is bothering them. Every time your baby cry, it doesn’t mean anything harmful.
Why And How Is Stress Dangerous For Babies?
Stress in adults is common and happens to all of us. We are aware how stress can impact our body both physically and mentally. But what does stress do to babies?
Stress can impact babies just like it impacts adults. But it is more severe in babies as it can disrupt or impact your baby’s brain development, growth and sometimes can alter their emotional regulation in the later years.
Cortisol is a stress hormone which disrupts growth and brain development. Long time stress in infants can cause lifelong lasting effects. But the keyword is long lasting or prolonged stress. If your baby is crying for a minute or two because of hunger it doesn’t essentially mean your baby is stressed.
How Can I Prevent Stress In My Baby?
The first and foremost way to reduce stress in your baby is to develop a secure bond with your child.
One of the most important things we can do to help our children have lower stress is by creating a secure bond.
A recent study has shown that 40% of the kids in U.S, lack a secure bond. Hr is what you can do to develop this bond with your baby:
- Give nurturing touches
- Breastfeed, or bottle nurse with attention and focus
- Answer your baby’s cries
- Follow your baby’s cues – even the most nurturing of touches can be stressful if they’re not desired by your baby
- Practice babywearing
- Nighttime parenting and providing support during sleep
- B conscious of your own moods as it can affect your baby’s moods too
Why Is It Important To Avoid Stress In Babies?
Your baby’s first 2 years after birth has a lot to do with her future. The first two years are very important for nurturing both mentally and physically.
It is important to make sure your baby feels safe and secure at all times. When your baby has a strong emotional mind now, it will benefit her in her adult life.
