At the sound of his cry, I instantly transformed from a mild mannered mother to, well, Supermom. With adrenaline offering me superpowers, I leaped with a single bound more quickly than a speeding bullet to his side, ever ready to restore peace to his world. At times, that feat took only a few seconds. At others, it seemed I was against a force more powerful than kryptonite.
Sometimes, I wondered if he was an alien from another planet. In some ways, he was. The process of childbirth separates infants from all that is familiar and comforting to them. They land in a strange new world outside the womb. Crying is part of adjusting to that change. It is their first method of communication. Parents quickly learn to decode messages from the pitch, tone and fervor of their child's cries. "I'm hungry." "I'm mad." I'm sleepy." "I'm hurting." Amazingly, infants can recognize and effectively communicate these feelings. Like adults, their tiny bodies have built-in monitoring systems.
A cry signals that a system is out of balance. Supermoms, Superdads, and Super Heroes who care for children respond promptly. Hungry? Wet? Sleepy? Super Caregivers check each system carefully and make needed adjustments. Feed. Diaper. Burp. A quick fix assures us of our super powers. If the crying continues, we rely on our super insight for a solution. Our powers of instinct, experience, and creativity come to our aid.
Often we mimic the sensations of the womb to recreate a comfortable atmosphere.
Motion, pressure, and sound soothe unhappy babies. Babies continuously experience these before birth. Mom's swaying walk. The tightness of her bulging tummy. Distant voices and sounds. Blood swooshing by. Her thumping heartbeat. Super Caregivers identify a child's unique comforting preferences. Rhythmical movement is often an instant peacemaker.
By design, rocking chairs, cradles, baby swings, and bouncing and vibrating seats provide calming motion. Super Caregivers achieve the same results with only their bodies. Their arms are versatile cradles that walk about. They also sway from side to side. When standing, their knees are built-in bouncers. When sitting, their laps become vibrating beds.
Loving hands provide comfort too.
Steadily patting a child's back, chest, or diapered bottom is calming. Often this releases trapped air with a relieving burp. Rhythmical sucking is another great scream-stopper. Pacifiers satisfy an infant's need to suck. Super Caregivers sometimes substitute their own knuckle, thumb, or pinky finger. A baby's own fist, fingers, or thumb can also satisfy them. Before birth, a mother's tummy holds baby in a very tight space.
Security is vital for a baby. Bunching a child's arms and legs close to their bodies helps them feel secure. Swaddling is wrapping a baby snuggly in this position with a blanket. This technique often turns an upset child into a bundle of joy. The steady gentle enveloping pressure comforts and consoles them. Various sounds also hush crying infants.
Music calms a savage beast and unhappy infants too. Talking, singing, or humming softly near a child's ear is quieting. The gentle vibrating sound waves imitate sound before birth. A loud and continuous "shhhhhhhh" also calms. This mimics the sound of blood swooshing in the womb.
Resourceful caregivers combine soothing techniques and discover new ones.
They turn ordinary appliances into peacemakers. Humidifiers, fans, hair dryers, and vacuums produce comforting sound. White noise machines and radios tuned to loud static can be super-effective. The gentle vibration and sound of washing machines and clothes dryers are favorites for some. Simply turning on a faucet and running water can be successful. A car or stroller ride works for others.
Like adults, some babies just need a good cry to feel better. The deep breathing and effort of crying itself releases excess energy and tension. It shuts out sights, sounds and other sensations that are too intense. Super Caregivers recognize that crying does not last forever.
As my son grew, the cries for Supermom faded. I am looking forward to a promotion to SUPER GRANDMA someday. Then I'll have a chance to put these soothing weapons to work once again-and maybe discover a few new ones to share with my fellow Super Heroes.
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