New infants eat every two to three hours. This means that by the time you get
up, feed your baby, burp her, change her diaper, cuddle and sooth her back to
sleep, you generally have less than two hours before the whole cycle starts
again. When babies are a little older, they will gradually sleep for longer
stretches and will adapt to day and night schedules. However, at this age, your
baby has needs at all hours and you need to be there to see to them.
So, for the first month or two of baby's life, you are in survival mode.
Whenever you are not feeding her, changing her or soothing her, you need to do
the bare minimum of things you need to keep going. This means you either need to
eat, drink, or sleep. Showering occasionally is good, too. Ignore the dust,
clutter and other household annoyances. A clean house is simply not as important
as the health of you and your baby. Remember that keeping the lights dim and
stimulation minimal for those middle of the night feedings will eventually help
teach your baby to sleep more at night.
Crying and Colic
Babies cry. They cannot talk, so crying is how they communicate. Often,
babies cry to tell you they need something —food, a clean diaper or a snuggle.
These cries are relatively easy to deal with since it feels good to solve the
problem and sooth your baby's cry. However, sometimes babies cry for more
complex reasons. If your baby is engaging in long periods of crying and cannot
seem to be soothed or placated, you should consult with your doctor in case
there is a medical problem. But, often the doctor will declare the baby to be
completely healthy and suffering from colic.
What is colic? It is basically a catch all term for a condition where babies
cry for prolonged periods and do not respond to standard soothing. In some
cases, colic may be digestive distress, but colic is often thought to be a case
of an underdeveloped nervous system. There is no cure. The best you can do is to
try different things to soothe your baby—a swing, a bouncy seat, the stroller,
being rocked, a vibrator on the crib—and keep reminding yourself that colic is
temporary. Make sure you get help and breaks since the constant crying can be
very stressful. It may also be worthwhile to try white noise or soft music; some
babies find it soothing, and most parents do.