Warning labels for newborns.

I have just read a recent article doing its rounds on facebook entitled "They should've warned me." In case you missed it, the article is written by a first time mom who said she received lots of "warnings" about what to expect but no-one warned her that she would feel an instantaneous overwhelming sense of love for her newborn child. 

It got me thinking that if babies did come with warning labels it might look something like this:

WARNING

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AHEAD

FEED REGULARLY

REQUIRES FREQUENT DIAPER CHANGES

DANGER IF NOT BURPED

COMMUNICATES BY CRYING ONLY

YOU WILL LOVE ME UNCONDITIONALLY

When it comes to sleep I think there is one thing we are not warned about. Every baby is different. Some are sleepers, some are not, some are soothed by touch, some are not, some feed well from the start and some don't. It might seem like I am stating the obvious but a baby's personality type is closely linked to their sleep and understanding your child from the start is key to establishing healthy sleep.

For example, mother A and B both have babies at the same time. They both attended the same anti natal class and read the same baby books. Both are equally prepared for their new arrival. Baby A sleeps well from the start, feeds regularly and by six weeks baby A is sleeping through the night just like the book said he would. Baby B is fussy, does not enjoy being swaddled, cries during the night and is difficult to sooth. The difference is not in the parenting approach its in the personality type of the baby.   

I am speaking from experience because I was the mother of baby B and recall those feelings of helplessness and despair wondering where I had gone wrong. If I had pinpointed my daughter's personality type at the time I would have done things very differently.

I have based my personality types on the book "secrets of a baby whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. Tracy Hogg was a British born nurse who was dubbed the "baby whisperer" for her intuitive understanding of babies and how to communicate with them. She identified five baby types which I think you will recognize even if you have older children because, lets face it, personality traits only get stronger and kids get older. 

Angel baby

Angel babies are generally calm, always smiling and undemanding. Their cues are easy to read. They are not bothered by new surroundings and are very portable. They feed easily and usually sleep easily. Its the kind of baby every first time pregnant mom expects to get.

Textbook baby

These babies are very predictable. They reach each milestone on cue just like the book said they should. They do get upset but are generally easy to calm and are usually easy sleepers. 

Touchy baby

These babies are very sensitive to external stimuli. They are often bothered by noises, bright light, hot and cold and too much touching. They get upset when too many people have held them. They can play by themselves but often need reassurance that mom or dad or caregiver is close by. They often cry for no apparent reason, feed erratically and are thrown when their schedule is changed in any way. 

Spirited baby

This baby knows exactly what she likes and doesn't like and will let you know immediately if something is wrong. She cries easily when something is troubling her such as a wet diaper, she babbles loudly and her body language tends to be a bit jerky. 

Grumpy baby

These babies are very fussy, fidgety and irritable. They generally don't like to be bathed, have trouble feeding because they become impatient when they hunger need is not met immediately.

The good news there is a way to deal with each kind of baby. Even the fussiest of babies can be soothed to sleep. but first you have to understand your child's personality type.

Not even the most advanced untra-sound in the world can warn us as to what baby personality we are going to get. So consider yourself warned, when your baby is born you are going to feel and indescribable overwhelming sense of love for them no matter what their personality type.