Following my big news, I wanted to write a tutorial that will *hopefully* be of some use, if not mild entertainment, for first-time parents. If you’ve just been crowned diaper-duty-dad (or mom), congratulations on your rite of passage. What follows now are endless nights of sleep deprivation — YAY! — if you have a high-need or colic baby. So, how do you regain some sanity among your first few weeks of all-nighters? You watch two videos on YouTube! First, here’s a good video of what your baby is trying to tell you when he/she cries (skip to 3:23 to get to the gist of the video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv3-74EFtWQ

Recap:

All babies up to three months of age have the same cries. If you can decipher the slight variances between each cry and respond to your baby’s needs, then this should help you out tremendously. Below is the list of cries and their definitions.

• Neh – I’m hungry = Feed me
• Heh – I’m experiencing discomfort = Change me, try a different position/scenery
• Owh - I’m sleepy = Put me to sleep (pacifier/swaddle/singing/etc.)
• Eairh – I have lower gas = Burp me, bend my legs toward my stomach to push out a fart
• Eh – I have gas = Burp me

Next up, here’s a video showing you how to calm your baby using five techniques, which include swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging (and jiggling) and sucking (skip to 2:45 to hear about the 5S’s).

Recap:

There are five ways to calm a baby. They are…

• swaddling – wrapping your baby in a large cloth to pin down his/her arms and legs so he/she won’t fidget and get him/herself riled up again
• side/stomach position – laying your baby on its side (you can also try the stomach/football hold position) temporarily until he/she has calmed down
• shushing – making a loud continuous shush noise (pretend you want to quite some annoying person at a movie theater)
• swinging (and jiggling) – not to be confused with shaking, this involves a gentle yet continuous swing motion or tiny jiggles, whichever your baby prefers
• sucking – give your baby a pacifier he/she will like (they come in different shapes and age-appropriate sizes just like diapers, so be sure to use one your baby will like) or try your pinky

Here’s the caveat for both… these techniques will work for up to three months. You can still try them, but rest assured your baby will outgrow them eventually. Then again, after three months, your little one’s (LO’s) tummy should be big enough to retain more milk, which will keep him/her happier longer. Alright newbie parents, class is over… good luck!