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Understanding Baby's Body Language
During the first weeks of life, your baby will seem to be sending out a lot of signals. From birth, he will turn his head when you touch his cheek and extend his arms and legs and cry when he's startled. He'll also take a step forward when his feet touch a flat surface and grasp your finger when you stroke his palm. "Interestingly enough, none of these body signals is really about communicating," Dr. Speer says. "They're simply reflexes that your baby was born with." In a few months, some will disappear entirely, while others will evolve into more purposeful actions.
Of course, not all of your baby's early signals are mere reflexes. That gummy grin that surfaces at about 6 weeks, for example, is not gas. "Your baby's smiling isn't always a response to your actions, but it is a sign that he's happy," says Ron Marino, D.O., director of general pediatrics at Winthrop-University Hospital, in Mineola, New York. And as Dr. Marino notes, the timing couldn't be better. "Parents work so hard during those first six weeks -- it's nice to get some feedback."
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continued from previous...we need to gently introduce them to the world of coming & going & the world of not always getting what you want. if we let them be clingy right now, they will soon realize that they dont need to worry so much about whether or not we'll be there. they will gain a sense of safety and "okay-ness" about venturing out on their own. they will grow to be confident, independent adults. i think a good mantra for parenting is "a met need goes away."
2/24/2010 03:05:10 PM Report Abusecontinued from previous...it also means that when i can tell his cry is more than frustration, when it is extreme anxiety or fear, i respond immediately, no matter what. babies at this age don't have the ability to regulate their emotions yet - we need to help them until they begin to learn the skill from us. they do these things because they can't stop themselves from doing it and in their little minds when mom walks away all they know is that it doesnt feel good in the moment.
2/24/2010 03:04:26 PM Report AbuseContinued from previous...as mothers, we also need to use our intuition and intimate knowledge of our child to determine how much frustration is developmentally appropriate and good, and how much is too much. so this means that sometimes i let my little one cry a bit while i have to go upstairs to get something, but i will talk to him while i'm out of the room to help ease the intense anxiety he feels.
2/24/2010 03:03:44 PM Report Abuseyes, these things are normal - my 9 month old son does the same - but i strongly disagree with the idea that our babies are manipulating us. this is an extremely important phase in their emotional and social development where they are working to understand the reality that they are separate little beings from us, their primary caregivers. it is normal and healthy for them to experience anxiety at this stage and we should respond to their needs as consistently and as non-begrudgingly as possible.
2/24/2010 03:02:33 PM Report AbuseYeah, it is normal, my little 9 month old girl, does the same thing. But the moment I get closer, she stops and smiles. However the moment I turn around, she screams like someone is attacking her. It is all for attention, and most of the time we just give in because we hate to hear our own babies cry, even though we know we are being played by a master manipulator. Good Luck!
1/27/2010 02:52:17 PM Report AbuseThis is so true. My 9 month old does these things. I have noticed that when someone comes around that she is not too familiar with, she will hold on tighter to my shirt and will turn her head into me. The only thing that bothers me sometimes is when I try to put her down to play, she starts screaming like she is being hurt. Is that normal???
1/11/2010 12:25:55 PM Report Abuse