Article: Burgie Ireland from Your Baby magazine
Image: Ablestock

When it works, it may come as a bit of a surprise – even awe – but it's a great relief! Here are a few quirky ideas that have helped some moms through the toughest times.

1. Crying
Doctor Berry Brazelton, a famous American paediatrician, studied babies' crying behaviour very closely and documented when, how and why babies cry. He found that when the mother moaned gently with her crying baby, the baby calmed down and stopped crying for long enough to allow the parent to take control of the situation by feeding, rocking, massaging or bathing her baby.

2. Sleep
Many parents have succumbed to taking their baby for a drive in the car in an attempt to get them to go to sleep. Unfortunately this can soon become a habit that wastes time and petrol. A simpler solution is to secure your baby's carry chair on top of the dishwasher, tumble-dryer or washing machine.

The continuous hum, together with the vibrations, somehow resembles movement and noise your baby came to know when growing in the womb. A fan placed in your baby's bedroom may also have the desired effect.

3. Breastfeeding
During those first few crucial days when your baby is learning to breastfeed, nurses, lactation consultants and mothers-in-law zealously hold, push, squeeze and shove breast and baby together in an attempt to unite the two. What we forget is that the newborn has a strong instinct to pull his head back when pressure is applied to the back of the head.

When helping your baby to breastfeed, it's best not to touch his head at all. Instead, gently brush your nipple against your baby's cheek. In this way, the nipple is stimulated and becomes more erect. This makes it prominent and easier for your baby to latch on to. Your baby's rooting reflex, that enables him to find the source of food, is strongest in the cheek. He will then turn to the source of stimulation with a ready and open mouth, latch and feed spontaneously.

4. Carrying
Many people worry that carrying their baby on their back is not good for his back, hips and neck. Quite the opposite. This kind of support stimulates your baby's bracing reflex, encouraging back and neck muscles to adapt to your constantly changing position. This subtle exercise strengthens important muscles that support the spine. When your baby's legs are stretched around your back, his hip joints are strengthened because of the head of the femur pushing firmly into it.

Besides seeing more of the world, your baby is comforted by the closeness to your body. Babies who spend a lot of time on someone's back have been found to suffer less from colic, sleep better and are less easily disturbed. It also frees you up to do your own thing. You may want to lay him on his tummy afterwards for a while so he can stretch out.

5. Over-dressing
It's a myth that warm hands and feet mean that your baby is tired and wants to sleep. They are purely an indication that your baby is either too warm, too cold, or just right. While it's important to keep your baby warm, mothers are inclined to over-dress their babies. Winter or summer, put your baby in a long-sleeve or sleeveless vest. The soft flannel helps to maintain your baby's natural body temperature in winter, and during summer, the flannel absorbs excess skin moisture that could otherwise give your baby a chill if there was a sudden change in temperature.

6. Winding
Babies burp on their own when they're relaxed. Many a mom and baby get quite frustrated when a myriad of suggested antics to break a wind simply don't work. Calmly stroking your baby's forehead, breastbone or tummy while talking gently almost hypnotises him, relaxing all the tense muscles so that the tummy bubble simply makes its way up and out. This relaxing technique can help your baby get to sleep, calm colic or soothe a frustrated and overtired baby.

7. Jaundice
Babies can become jaundiced in their first week, which causes their skin to become a lighter shade of yellow. If they're wearing yellow, it's harder for you to monitor their skin colour and they can look more jaundiced than they really are. A yellow complexion from jaundice is the result of the build-up of bilirubin in the blood.

When your baby's poo changes from green to yellow, be assured that the large intestine is doing its bit to remove the bilirubin from the body and excrete it through the stool. To monitor your baby's skin complexion, it's best to dress him in white.

8. Checking temperature
The back of the neck is particularly sensitive, and if your baby is running a fever, you can accurately estimate his body temperature by kissing the nape of the neck, rather than from touching his forehead. A frustrated, irritable and tired baby can feel unusually hot and mothers can worry unnecessarily.

On the other hand, a sick baby quickly runs a temperature and, if left untreated, it can result in a febrile convulsion. We cannot always carry a thermometer around with us, and we know that babies spike a temperature at inconvenient times and places (a picnic, wedding reception or some outdoor event). Simple measures, like dressing down to a vest and putting a damp cloth over your baby's head, can quickly control a temperature until medication can be given.

9. Bathtime
Many new parents dread bathtime when the baby cries uncontrollably. Your baby's slippery, soapy body can also make you nervous and on edge. To take the anxiety out of it, make bathtime a family event. Pop your baby into the bath with dad (dads are just as nervous when handling a new baby). Your baby relishes the familiar water environment and thrives on skin-to-skin contact. It adds up to quality time, a swimming lesson and a good wash – all rolled into one.

10. Nappy rash
Many old fashioned nappy rash remedies have become obsolete with today's ultra absorbent nappies, which are so soft and surprisingly dry on the surface (the gel locks moisture into the nappy). Protective skin products, like petroleum, zinc, caster oil and cornstarch powder, are no longer recommended because they can render the nappy ineffective, or the powder can cake to create irritation spots that could cause a rash in the first place. Keeping the skin clean, dry and fragrance-free is today's number one cure in preventing and treating nappy rash.