I had my little girl in September of 2006. As happy as I was, I found myself spending all of the following month a mess emotionally and exhausted physically. I didn't know how to keep my little one from crying, and I didn't know why she was crying. I spoke to so many moms that said, "you just gotta try everything and hopefully one of them should work". Well, I tried and nothing seemed to work. By the end of October I was more exhausted, confused, depressed and told my husband in a fit of emotion, "...this is happening because my baby hates me. It HAS to be. The cradling, feeding, singing, and everything else...nothing is working. I just don't know what she wants and I'm telling you, she probably just doesn't like me."
I remember one day being in my daughter's room, sitting in my glider and rocking with my crying little girl, sobbing. I looked up and prayed. I said "G-d, seriously, you HAVE to help me. I don't know what she wants. I feel like I'm a horrible mother! I love this child so much...please help me!" After finally helping her get to sleep, I found myself downstairs on my couch completely freaked out, wondering 'what I'm going to do?'. I felt like I had no connection with my daughter because, no matter what I did, she cried.
It's not like the movies where you sing a lullaby and -POOF!- baby is sleeping. I turned on my t.v. and watched the latest Oprah show that I TiVoed, while my little girl finally slept. There were a number of babies with their parents and a beautiful long-haired lady from Australia named Priscilla Dunstan. She explained how babies actually have 5 sounds that have meaning when they cry, you just have to hear them.
This woman had maybe 10 parents, each with one child or twins. All children she worked with were newborn up to 3 months old. The show started off where the poor babies were fussing or crying. Within 10 minutes this Heavenly woman listened and explained to the parent what their baby needed. In those ten minutes she amazingly had every baby calm and happy.
I just about fell off my couch in surprise. I looked up, pressed my hands to my heart and whispered to G-d "Thank you!" and continued watching the show. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. So I studied the 'baby cry' examples that she provided. I frantically wrote down the sounds phonetically, replayed the TiVoed show about 6 times and took a deep breath.
Later when my baby woke up crying I listened carefully. Granted, it was tough to try and focus on a specific sound over the crying that strummed on my nerves... but all of a sudden there it was! HOLY MOLY, THERE IT WAS! According to the show it was a cry to be burped, so I picked her up and (still half believing this show) I rubbed her back over my shoulder. "Buuuuuuurp!" There it was, the gas she was trying to tell me to get out of her. The most beautiful sound I have heard in months. I was shocked, elated, amazed and relieved. Days after my home and my heart found peace. Truly, it was the answer to my prayers.
My husband can tell you behind my back how quickly the change of mood was in our home; from a confused cranky and upsetting household to peace, quiet and laughter. The change took place within 2 days. I contacted my hospital and urged them to work a seminar about this to new moms so they wouldn't have to be as upset, scared or confused as I was. I thought about new moms with so many sleepless and frustrating nights.
I thought of how many mothers out there that took their frustration out on their child by sadly shaking their baby to calm them down. I thought of the number of injuries and deaths that could be prevented simply by watching the instructional DVD. Priscilla Dunstan's information seems to also save mothers from frustration, confusion and exhaustion!! A win-win DVD, if you ask me.
If you are a mother of a newborn up to 3 months old baby or are pregnant please consider giving this a try. There are some moms that say they couldn't connect with the sounds Priscilla Dunstan refers to - and that could happen, but the DVD will also share with you the many different ways to hold your baby, cradle, and help care for 'gassy' situations with your little one.
This could be one great source to prepare you, help you to get closer to your newborn and have a happy relationship with your baby at such a tender and loving age!
Mom Topics 
I had my little girl in September of 2006. As happy as I was, I found myself spending all of the following month a mess emotionally and exhausted physically. I didn't know how to keep my little one from crying, and I didn't know why she was crying. I spoke to so many moms that said, "you just gotta try everything and hopefully one of them should work". Well, I tried and nothing seemed to work. By the end of October I was more exhausted, confused, depressed and told my husband in a fit of emotion, "...this is happening because my baby hates me. It HAS to be. The cradling, feeding, singing, and everything else...nothing is working. I just don't know what she wants and I'm telling you, she probably just doesn't like me."
