6 Baby Behaviours that are Perfectly Normal

These days, new mums are bombarded with information, via the internet, books, friends, forums – the list goes on.

While an abundance of resources can be helpful, it also means mixed messages, conflicting advice and numerous opinions regarding what is considered “normal”.

As a result, many new parents are left with a stringent list of milestones they’re hoping to hit, and unrealistic expectations placed on their newborns.

At the end of the day, there are multiple versions of normal when it comes to newborns.

Like adults, babies are all different, and many of the behaviours new mums spend time and energy trying to prevent or avoid, are in fact, perfectly normal for babies.

We’ve collated a few common baby behaviours, which can be challenging or confusing, but are all perfectly normal.

Cluster Feeding

You might be recovering from birth and learning to breastfeed for the first time, when suddenly your newborn baby just won’t stop begging for food. In fact, it might seem like your new bub doesn’t got for more than half an hour without crying for more, and embarking on a two day feeding frenzy. While this can be exhausting, it’s not indicative of a problem, and is very common during those early days. Take a deep breath, find a comfy position and just take it one feed at a time.

Night Waking

One of the most common myths is that babies should be sleeping through the night fairly quickly. In reality though, babies can’t tell the difference between day and night so will wake frequently for either food or comfort during both time periods. As your bub gets older, night-waking will decrease, but in the meantime, rest assured that it’s a perfectly normal part of your baby’s sleep cycle, and is actually good for them.

Catnaps

You’ve probably heard that your baby should be sleeping for three to four hours at a time. And while many babies do appear to do that, a newborn’s sleep cycle actually lasts around 40 minutes. So while some might stir and go straight back to sleep, others might need some help to resettle.

Active nights

As mentioned above, babies don’t know the difference between day and night, and some babies tend to save their big sleeps for daytime, and leave nights for play time! While this might not suit your schedule, it fits in nicely to what they’ve been used to in utero, as they were rocked to sleep while you moved about, and found time to wiggle about as you slept. Overtime baby’s internal clock will be reset, as he realises day time is full of activity and night’s are fairly boring.

Hold me

Many a new mum has been told ‘you’re making a rod for your own back’ as they tirelessly rock their bub to sleep. And often this can leave mums feeling like a failure for not being able to settle their baby anywhere else. But rest assured, it’s natural for baby’s to yearn for physical contact with their mother, after spending a solid nine months tucked cosily inside your body. Eventually these habits will break, so enjoy the closeness while you can.

Being unsettled

For some new mums it can feel like their baby is never happy, constantly fussing or fretting. Remember, babies have no way of expressing themselves, and they’re experiencing a great deal of new feelings and sensations now that they’re out in the real world. They could be hungry, cold, warm, scared, confused or tired. Try to find the techniques that best sooth your baby and stick to them. Just remember, not to worry – it’s perfectly normal.

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