Babies feel stress too
It appears to be baby week here at Mommy Wizdom. Here is yet another crazy baby story. On a side note, last night I dreamt that a former friend from HS had a baby?!?
It is a little known fact that babies make fists when they're stressed out! I myself did not know this information until my lactation consultant asked me if my daughter ever let up her fists while nursing. Until that point, I honestly believed that babies naturally kept their hands in a fist ALL THE TIME! BG certainly did!
My daughter was a bad nurser. She only wanted let-downs and if they weren't constant she wasn't willing to work to get milk. So, she spent the first two months of her life underweight and stressed out. She constantly had her hands balled up in a fist. I was a new mom and completely clueless. I had no idea that was a sign of stress.
My son spend the first month of his life with his hands balled up in fists too! This was due to pain and lack of sleep! It took me over a month to figure out that he was lactose intolerant. He was stressed out because he was in so much pain and the pain kept him from getting his 16-17 hours of daily sleep!
My kids are not babies anymore and it's been a long time since I've seen a baby-fist in my house. However, the other day I was watching a TV show with a baby scene. As most everyone knows, babies are only allowed a certain amount of "air time" which is why many producers opt for multiples when casting baby actors (ie. Full House). The scene was a funeral and the baby was sitting with her mom and being handled by well-wishers. In the first scene the baby was happy and smiling, her hands were open and she was content. The next scene she was zoning out and looking tired. By the final scene, the baby had full-blown fists and you could tell she had been crying. Of course no one noticed (or cared). The actors carried on with their dialogue and I was left feeling sorry for that little girl who wasn't allowed to sleep.
The next time you see a baby with fists, remember that they are stressed out! They are lacking in one of their basic baby needs!
It is a little known fact that babies make fists when they're stressed out! I myself did not know this information until my lactation consultant asked me if my daughter ever let up her fists while nursing. Until that point, I honestly believed that babies naturally kept their hands in a fist ALL THE TIME! BG certainly did!
My daughter was a bad nurser. She only wanted let-downs and if they weren't constant she wasn't willing to work to get milk. So, she spent the first two months of her life underweight and stressed out. She constantly had her hands balled up in a fist. I was a new mom and completely clueless. I had no idea that was a sign of stress.
My son spend the first month of his life with his hands balled up in fists too! This was due to pain and lack of sleep! It took me over a month to figure out that he was lactose intolerant. He was stressed out because he was in so much pain and the pain kept him from getting his 16-17 hours of daily sleep!
My kids are not babies anymore and it's been a long time since I've seen a baby-fist in my house. However, the other day I was watching a TV show with a baby scene. As most everyone knows, babies are only allowed a certain amount of "air time" which is why many producers opt for multiples when casting baby actors (ie. Full House). The scene was a funeral and the baby was sitting with her mom and being handled by well-wishers. In the first scene the baby was happy and smiling, her hands were open and she was content. The next scene she was zoning out and looking tired. By the final scene, the baby had full-blown fists and you could tell she had been crying. Of course no one noticed (or cared). The actors carried on with their dialogue and I was left feeling sorry for that little girl who wasn't allowed to sleep.
The next time you see a baby with fists, remember that they are stressed out! They are lacking in one of their basic baby needs!
I didn't know this. It makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing your insight!
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