What Do Babies Dream About?
In the world there are many different types of children. Some like to play with other kids, some prefer to sleep alone, some enjoy being active and others just want to be left alone. But all babies have one thing in common: They love their mothers! And it’s not just any mother; it’s your own mother! When a baby is born, she immediately starts crying because her heart wants to give birth to a new life. Her body is so happy and full of energy. She’s very sensitive to everything around her. She feels everything and she reacts to every situation with joy.
The first few days after birth are the most precious time for a mother and child. A mother needs to take care of herself, feed her baby, change diapers, etc., but the main job is still doing those things with love and affection towards her baby. The mother’s emotions are very strong during these first few days.
During these times, the baby is naturally trying to show her how much she loves her mommy. She might even make little gestures or sounds which indicate that she does indeed feel this way.
But sometimes a mother doesn’t understand why her baby acts like this. Let’s say she’s tried everything. She feeds her baby, changes her, holds her and loves her, but every time she does this the baby cries. The mother might feel like she’s doing something wrong.
This is where misconceptions begin.
Many mothers wonder what their baby is dreaming about when they cry.
Is it because he’s hungry? Is it because his diaper needs to be changed? Does he need more love from me? Is he too hot? Too cold? Does he have gas? Is he sick? Does he need more attention from me?
The list of questions could go on forever.
So what do babies dream about when they cry?
It’s actually a very simple answer: They cry because they want their mother! If the baby is hungry, or needs changing, or is too hot or too cold, then he will not be at peace until his basic needs are met. But if he’s just crying for the sake of crying, then it’s just because he wants to be close to his mother.
Does this mean that a mother needs to spend all of her time with the baby?
No. It just means that when you choose to be with your baby, you should be totally involved. Don’t do housework; don’t answer the phone; don’t check your email; just focus on your child. Talk to him, smile at him, hold him, and love him. When you do this your baby will feel more secure and loved, and this will prevent him from feeling the need to cry for attention.
Babies are very sensitive. They can feel every single emotion inside of you. If you’re stressed out all the time because of work or other worries, then your baby will feel that as well. So take a break from everything else, enjoy your baby, and love him!
This is the best way to help your baby sleep as well. A content and happy baby will sleep much better than a hungry or uncomfortable one, trust me! So make sure to have someone around to help you take care of your baby during the night if need be.
Can I Sleep When My Baby Does?
Well, this is a tough question. Fortunately for you, babies do need sleep (a lot of it actually).
The question is, do YOU need sleep as well?
The answer is a definite “maybe” if you’re a new mom. Some women are able to survive on no sleep at all. They say that this phase only lasts for about a year or so.
If you don’t get any sleep during the day while your baby is sleeping, then by nighttime you will most likely be very tired. This is when most new moms begin to get a little worried. They’re not sure if they should sleep while their baby sleeps, or stay awake and keep an eye on the child.
If you’re this type of mom and you find that you need to sleep sometime within the first couple months after giving birth, then it would probably be best for you to sleep when your baby sleeps during the day. This way you can still get some rest even if it is in shorter intervals than normal.
In addition to which, always try to sleep in the same room as your baby if at all possible. This will allow you to hear him if he needs anything. You never know, he may be a great sleeper and only need to eat every few hours, but you may still want to keep watch over him during the night just in case.
What Should I Do If My Baby Won’t Go To Sleep?
If you’ve tried everything to help your baby fall asleep, and you still can’t get him down for a nap, then you may want to try the following:
Rock, sing to, or otherwise soothe your baby until he falls asleep while laying next to him.
Put him in the crib drowsy but awake. Some babies simply won’t fall asleep on their own. In that case you will have to assume the responsibility of putting him to sleep while awake.
However, if it’s just a question of your baby not being able to stay asleep, then try the following:
Always make sure your baby is sleeping on his back. This will prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Monitor the temperature of your baby’s room. You don’t want it too hot or too cold.
Don’t let any sort of smoke enter the room while your baby is sleeping.
Try swaddling your baby. This will help him to feel more secure, and thus able to stay asleep longer.
Never ever ever ever leave your baby alone while he is sleeping, no matter what. This really shouldn’t even need to be said, but I’m saying it anyway.
What Should I Do If My Baby Is Coughing Up Phlegm?
This is very common in babies, and is nothing to worry about as long as it isn’t excessive or green in color. The baby will most likely start to cough up the phlegm on his own. You can help the process along by suctioning out the mouth with a bulb syringe (read: not a vacuum).
If it’s yellowish or whitish in color, then it’s probably just saliva and mucous, and if it comes out in small chunks then it’s probably just mucous. In either of these cases it’s nothing to worry about. If, however, it comes out in long strings that look like little noodles then you probably have a croupy cough and should seek medical attention.
The only other cause for major concern is green mucous or sputum. This could be a sign of an infection or even pneumonia, so you should seek medical attention immediately if this is the case.
What Should I Do If My Baby Won’t Eat?
First of all, babies need to eat every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. This means that if your baby wakes up in the middle of the night to eat, you still need to wake up and provide food. Don’t set an alarm, just make sure you have a watch or phone nearby so you don’t miss the feeding. If you can’t wake up, then someone else will need to get up with baby.
If your baby is taking in less than 80ml per feeding or less than 32ml per pound of body weight in a 24 hour period, seek medical attention. This could be a sign of a medical condition that needs attention.
If your baby is less than 3 months old and not losing weight, then you probably don’t need to seek help since this is normal for this age group. But if your baby is 3 months or older and not gaining weight, then you should seek medical attention since this is also a sign of failure to thrive.
Unless there is an emergency (coughing up green sputum, inability to wake baby up, lethargy, apathy, continuous vomiting), the doctor will probably want to see your baby at their clinic within 2 business days.
If you are unable to get in touch with the doctor, and your baby is not gaining weight, then you should go to your local hospital. They will be able to help you figure out the next step.
At the hospital they may draw blood and check things out that the clinic may not have the ability to do. A nurse will probably weigh your baby and measure his/her height and head circumference (this is called a weight check).
If your baby is less than 3 months old and has lost 10% or more of his/her birth weight you will need to receive nutrition through your blood stream (through your veins). If your baby is 3 to 11 months and weighs less than 70% of what he or she should weigh for their age and height, then you could receive nutrition. If your baby is over 12 months and under 2 years and weighs less than 80% of what he or she should weigh, then you could receive nutrition.
Infants who are not receiving nutrition will need to go to the hospital’s Special Care Nursery where they can be checked to see if they have any illnesses causing them to not gain weight. If no medical condition is found, and your baby is 3 months or younger, then they will probably need to start getting nutrition through their blood. If your baby is 4 months or older, they will receive an nutrition intravenously. If your baby is over 6 months and under 1 year then they may receive nutrition through a vein or their gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines).
If your baby is 1 year or older, and not receiving nutrition, then they will need to go to the hospital’s Special Care Nursery where they can be checked to see if they have any illnesses causing them to not gain weight. If no medical condition is found, and your baby is 1 year or younger, then they will probably need to start getting nutrition through their blood. If your baby is over 1 year and under 3 years, then they will receive nutrition through a vein or their gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines).
Sources & references used in this article:
Intuiting the truth of what’s happening: On Bion’s “Notes on memory and desire” by TH Ogden – The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 2015 – Wiley Online Library
The usefulness of dreams during pregnancy by SL Ablon – International journal of psycho-analysis, 1994 – pep-web.org
What’s Going on by K Hesse – 2002 – Ernst Klett Sprachen
