Babies of all ages have a variety of
personalities and distinctive behaviors, but newborns are generally simpler and
easier to comprehend. Newborns are humans in our purest form. They have yet to
develop complex emotional or psychological needs, so they act mainly on physical
needs. Usually, if a newborn is upset, there is a bodily cause that can be alleviated
if you can decipher the meaning behind the cries. For this reason, it is beneficial
to be able to recognize common newborn moods, such as uncomfortable, distressed,
sleepy, and everyone’s favorite, content.
From the moment they are born, newborns naturally
communicate discomfort by use of facial expressions and vocal chords. Babies in
general are known for crying when they need something, but you can also watch
for other signals to be able to comfort the baby before the crying starts.
Hungry babies will root at – or try to latch their mouths onto – anything
nearby, such as their own hands, blankets, clothes, or the arms of the person
holding them. Newborns also use their hands to comfort themselves if something
is bothering them, such as a dirty diaper or upset stomach. You may notice a
baby’s arms flailing uncontrollably, even when he isn’t upset; Newborns have
very limited motor control, so they actually enjoy being swaddled to control
their hands as well as keep warm. You can mimic this effect by gently holding
the baby’s arms close to his body. Remember, the baby was in a warm, tight, dark
bundle for nine months, so this will be the most comfortable position for him
for at least the first few months of his life.
Distressed newborns display signals similar to
an uncomfortable baby, but are more urgent, such as more extreme expressions and
louder cries. This is because of a situation that needs to be remedied quickly,
or an issue that may require more attention than usual. Painful cries can be
equally painful to the ears, and for good reason. If someone is holding or
moving a baby in a way that could harm her, she is quick to let out a cry to
let you know. Sometimes the signals are silent but just as severe, such as if a
baby is choking, she will open her mouth wide and sometimes stretch and twist
in an instinctive attempt to roll over; this calls for a quick and careful
response, turning the baby on her side and using suction to clear her throat if
needed (in this situation, it’s good
to hear the baby cry because it lets you know that she is breathing).
As much as a parent loves to see a newborn’s
eyes, that newborn loves to sleep even more. According to Mayo Clinic,
“Newborns often sleep up to 16 hours a day” (“Crying baby”). A sleeping baby is truly a happy baby, so it
is important to allow that sleep to be uninterrupted as much as possible. There
are several stages that a newborn goes through between being sleepy and sound
asleep, but a sleepy baby should be handled just as carefully and quietly as
one who is sound asleep, to keep from causing stress and interrupting the
natural sleep cycle. Sleeping babies are of course much easier to deal with
than alert babies, particularly in situations when you want to position the
baby into various poses, such as for photographs. You can also take extra
measures to keep the baby comfortable and asleep, such as increasing the room temperature
and playing soothing sounds like white noise or natural sound recordings.
There’s nothing quite like gazing into the eyes
of a newborn. Parents love to see their newborn awake and looking around, and
it is the best time to connect, bond, and interact with the baby. The eHow
article Common Behavioral States of
Newborns describes two distinct stages of a wakeful newborn: quite alert
and active alert. Quite alert is the most attentive newborn mood, easily
recognizable as bright eyed and content; this stage is when the baby is “most
responsive to feeding or one-on-one time with a parent or caregiver” (Zogheib).
Active alert is a stage between content and uncomfortable, such as when the
baby is starting to get hungry or slightly bothered by outside stimuli; responding
to small clues or making minor adjustments can usually calm a baby in this
state. Often, a simple shift in position or gentle touch can ease an agitated
newborn.
While newborns have many similarities, each baby
is unique as well. Some babies display discomfort, distress, sleepiness, and
contentment differently than others. Being able to identify common signs of a
newborn’s disposition helps you to communicate with the baby, especially in
careers that work with multiple babies on a daily basis. For parents, establishing
communication with a child early is an important step in developing a lifelong
connection and understanding relationship.
References:
Mayo Clinic staff, “Crying
baby: What to do when your newborn cries.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research. 16 April 2011. Web. 18 March 2012.
Zogheib, Stacy. “Common Behavioral States of
Newborns.” Demand Media, Inc. 24 April 2011. Web. 18 March 2012.
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