8 Things You Should Never Do With A Baby

There are some things that should never be done with a baby. Some of them may seem obvious to some, for others they may come as a surprise. Let’s see.

A baby crouching in his mother’s arms is a beautiful moment. There is no doubt that the mother would burst into tender feelings, but she may also be a little nervous, especially if she has become a mother for the first time.

Despite all the advice we get from already experienced mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends, as well as prenatal lessons and hundreds of websites,  a new mother may not know what to do with all that information when she is holding her baby for the first time.

We are now going to summarize all the basics from the moment the baby comes home. The main idea is to start motherhood on the right foot.

Below you can read about eight situations that should never be done with a baby.

What you should never do with your baby

1. Leave him alone

First, do not leave your baby alone in a bed, cradle, changing table, or another room. A baby should never be left unattended or alone.

Crying is a form of communication. If your baby is crying, it’s because he wants something: food or a diaper change, something might hurt him, or your baby just simply wants to be with his mother.

Some people say that a baby needs to learn how to be alone. However, they will certainly learn it later in life.

As for all mammals, even a baby is dependent on the mother, who must be close and attentive. After being in the mother’s womb for 9 months, where there was little other than the mother’s voice, the babies cry when they want to be with their mother.

2. Do not schedule breastfeeding

While breastfeeding is challenging, there is nothing that compares to the moment your baby eats and looks up at you. Congratulations!

Breastfeeding should not be scheduled, but should be done on demand. When using a breastmilk substitute, babies normally need feeding about every three hours.

A baby doesn’t need a mother’s breast milk just for a feeling of hunger and thirst. It is also a way to reunite, take comfort, and feel the love of the mother.

3. Don’t let your baby cry alone

There are always grandmothers and aunts who tell you to let your baby cry alone in the cradle for exercise. The foremost of all may even say that your baby is crying to manipulate you.

Manipulation is a concept that applies to adults, not babies. The most important question for yourself is:  Are you going to let your baby cry alone after  waiting 9 months to be with him?

A crying baby who is not taken care of eventually stops crying because he understands something: you don’t care what happens to him. 

Crying is the baby’s only means of expression; when the baby cries, he tries to tell you something.

4. Do not leave your baby alone to sleep

An infant does not sleep like an adult. Most babies wake up every two or three hours looking for a mother so they can fall asleep again. The baby cannot be taught to sleep but rather the baby will naturally sleep on his own.

Self-falling asleep is a process that occurs over time as a baby grows. If you are unsure about sleeping in the same bed as your baby, keep a cradle close to you so you can be by his or her side as quickly as possible. This minimizes the number of times you have to get up at night.

5. Do not shake the baby aggressively

Needless to say: after a hard night when your baby just keeps crying and no one knows what to do or what’s wrong, you may feel really hopeless. Parents who say they have never felt tempted to shake their baby to stop crying are likely to be lying.

Aggressive shaking will not help calm your baby. It probably just scares him and just makes him cry more.

In addition, you may damage his delicate little body. Loving and repetitive hugs give the baby the peace and serenity he needs to calm down. 

6. Don’t leave him without hugs

The safety of the mother’s arms relaxes the baby. If the baby does not relax in the mother’s arms regularly, it will be difficult for the baby to calm down and cope with life.

Babies are not able to take care of themselves. They need as much contact with their mother as possible. They need to be taken care of, protected and given the things they need. Restricting contact with the baby from the beginning impairs happiness hormone receptors (serotonin, internal opioids, and oxytocin).

7. Do not punish the baby

“Spanking” teaches a baby not to trust the person caring for him. In addition, the baby learns to restrain his needs, to lose motivation because of the world around him, to lose his self-confidence because he underestimates his impulses, and finally, to accept pain and stress as normal.

To raise a happy baby who knows that his needs will be met, you need to be patient. It’s certainly easy to feel hopeless at times. Taking care of your baby is a mess! But babies need care that stems from adult patience.

Remember: when the most loving people of all are able to control their negative emotions, they are guaranteed to become more empathetic and cooperative adults in the future.

8. Don’t believe in your own instincts

There are many opinions and they range from the words of experts to the stories of other mothers. While a community of other women and mothers may be of great help in the beginning, you should trust your heart when it tells you to do otherwise.

Motherhood connects a woman with her character and her purest instincts.