Motherhood: 0-6 months

For new time moms, after the initial joy of motherhood, the tasks of motherhood can be a little daunting. Especially when you have no way of knowing exactly what they need. Or maybe they’re telling you but you can’t get them because they speak a different language.

When tormented by a wailing newborn, most moms think the baby is simply hungry. And if they are breastfeeding their baby, and if the baby still cries after they are fed, they would conclude that their milk is not enough. First off, do you know that a newborn’s stomach is as big as a cherry? They don’t need that much milk. In fact, they are not hungry for the first three days of their life because they still have some food from their fetus days. They just want all the cuddling they can get. They want to feel as warm and safe inside the womb. The outside world is too noisy. And their heartbeat is erratic, they want to be held in your chest so they can hear your heartbeat and so their heartbeat will sink with yours. Your presence calms them, literally.

There are five basic baby needs that a mom should know off. First, yes you are right, they want their cherry-sized tummy full. Second, they would also like to have a lot of sleep. Third, they want to be perfectly comfortable when they are doing their power naps. You’ll learn that when they’re awake they just want to feed and you better be sure they are A-Okay when they are dozing off. Fourth, they can have painful lower gas problems sometimes. Some babies are more prone to this. So you better be listening to what they are telling you. Fifth, they would tell you when they need to burp.

First time moms would usually do elimination checklist. So if a baby cries, first they would check nappy. If it’s not full, they would check if the baby is bitten by an ant, or cold, or sleepy. Or something to that effect. But if all that’s in the check list is ruled out, and the baby is still crying, mothers would often conclude that their baby is still hungry.

Priscilla Dunstan, a genius with a photographic memory knew just how frustrating it could be when a baby cries for hours on end and you can’t seem to find out what’s wrong. Her baby was prone to colic. Several times she brought her baby to the hospital for fear that there is something wrong with her baby. She even asked the doctor “how can you know that it’s just colic?” The uncertainty in the doctors response left her more bewildered. Being good with sounds, she tried to listen to what her baby was telling her. She looked for patterns. She discovered that babies in fact has words for their five basic needs. Even as one-day old baby has been talking to its mom. The baby would stop telling its mom what it needs when it’s not properly responded to after talking to her for 3 months. But if mommy is a good listener, baby would continue her baby-talk up to 6 months. Are you curious to know what the babies all over the world is telling their moms and what it means? Read on.

Note: these words are pre-cry sounds. It’s the baby’s way of letting you know what they want from you. If you don’t meet their need, that’s when they resort to uncontrollable wailing, one that you’ll have a hard time figuring out.

Hungry
When hungry, you will hear your baby say “Neh”. It’s like they are sticking their tongue to the roof of their mouth, trying to taste food.

Sleepy
The baby makes the sound “owh” when they are sleepy. It’s a yawny “o” sound.

Not comfortable
The baby makes “Heh” sound when they are having a discomfort. They could be feeling too hot or the diaper or too hot. You just have to check what’s causing their discomfort. One mom discovered that her baby was saying “heh” whenever the baby is put in a car seat. She thought her baby just hates the seat. When she learned about the words that baby speak, she tried to find to source of the comfort. She was surprised that the car seat is too tight for her baby. Once she adjusted it, her baby no longer complained.

Lower Gas
The baby makes the “Eair” sound. It’s a painful cry. It’s like they are trying to push the air out of the alimentary tract with their stomach by crying.

Need to burp
The baby makes the “Eh”. It’s like they want the air to come out of the upper chest and attempting to burp. If you won’t listen to the baby, you’ll have dire consequences. They would simply barf all over. A very messy situation to be in. Take it from someone who dismissed what my newborn was telling me just because I was too sleepy to let her burp (and I was convincing myself that it’s just another baby sound that may mean differently). And it happened not once, but a few times before I listened, really listed.

And if you are averse to learning new things and wants to stay in your comfort zone, I hope to scare you off with this formula facts that formula company does not want you to know: you are putting your baby to 15 risks: Asthma, Allergies, Ear Infections, Highblood pressure, Respiratory Infections, lower IQ and cognitive Development, Obesity, Iron-deficiency anemia, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), Diabetes (Type 1 & 2), Digestive problems, childhood cancers, exposure to environmental contaminants, sleep apnea, Dental problems and malocclusions.