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Expert Q&A

	By Ann Calandro BSN, RNC, IBCLC Lactation Consultant

I know that I will have to hold my baby a lot in order to breastfeed.

Mothers are sometimes berated by family members and visitors for following their normal and natural instincts of responding to their own babies' needs. It is a sad world when we worry about training a newborn to be happy alone. Of course he needs to be picked up! He is not mature yet, certainly not capable of thinking, "I believe I will make her get up out of bed just for fun and pick me up." I worry about mothers who do not respond to their babies. When babies are left in their cribs to cry or left in the nursery with nurses for hours on end, I wonder what is wrong.

Crying is not normal. Despite the sage advice of some grandmothers, crying isn't good for Baby's lungs. When you hear your baby cry, your heart will tell you so. Crying causes your baby's cortisol levels to go up, his blood pressure to go up and his whole life to become unbalanced so that he doesn't feed or relax well. When your baby cries, your instinct is to do everything in your power to solve his problem so that the crying will stop. Newborn wailing is meant to be very grating and to spur you into action. Most times with breastfeeding babies, your touch or your breast is the instant solution whether baby is thirsty, hungry, cold or afraid. Think you might need a magic wand? You have been blessed with two!

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