ba·by (bb)
a. A very young child; an infant.
b. An unborn child; a fetus.
c. The youngest member of a family or group.
d. A very young animal.
2. An adult or young person who behaves in an infantile way.
3. Slang A girl or young woman.
4. Informal Sweetheart; dear. Used as a term of endearment.
5. Slang An object of personal concern or interest:
Newborns like to feel warm and
secure, so often changing their nappy or clothes is enough to set them off
crying. As you get more adept at doing these, your baby will cry less.
Babies don't always go to sleep when
they're tired, but become fractious and whingy, until put in the right
environment for sleep, such as a bassinet or cot. You will soon recognise the
signs of when it's time to put your baby down for a nap.
If your baby is crying more often or for longer periods than usual, or if she
starts crying in a different way, it may mean something is wrong, so seek your
GP's advice.
Babies need to learn how to sleep,
and some learn faster than others. As adults, we've all had nights when we can't
get to sleep or we've woken halfway through the night and can't resettle. Think
how frustrating and exhausting it is for us, never mind for a small baby! A baby
who's overtired will become very agitated and wail. This often prompts his
parents to pick him up and try a range of things, none of which work because the
baby basically just needs to sleep. To encourage your tense, screaming wreck to
nod off, try to keep the lights dim and the room quiet, and handle him gently
and slowly. Things to try include wrapping firmly, a dummy, white noise (eg. a
radio tuned between stations), rocking, patting, music or a bath.
If you frequently have trouble settling your baby or your baby is what's termed
'˜wakeful' (read: cries a lot, doesn't sleep), contact your early childhood
health centre for help. Sometimes a nurse can come to your house to assess the
situation or you may be eligible for a stay at a family care centre.