“I didn’t know what was wrong”: Em Rusciano’s tough day with newborn son
Em Rusciano has Instagram cooing over her cute baby son, Elio.
She posted a photo of them together in the shower, and gosh is he cute – all squishy lips and tiny bum nestling into his tired, loving mum.
It had been a tough day according to Em, with little Elio being very clingy, cluster-feeding and unsettled.
“I didn’t know what to do … even The Little Mermaid soundtrack didn’t work,” she wrote.
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‘The mystery is solved for now’
Echoing the sentiments of every mother of such a tiny baby, when they are too small to tell you what is going on, and you don’t know each other enough to guess quite yet.
“I couldn’t figure out what was wrong and then the tidal wave of spew came forth at about 9pm from his mouth, nostrils and I dare say his very soul. So the mystery is solved. For tonight anyway.”
Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue says Em did exactly the right thing.
What to check/look for when your newborn is unsettled
“Having a bad day with a newborn baby is absolutely normal. The best thing you can do is get through the day and reset and start the next day off fresh,” says Chris.
Next consider your baby’s development stage because according to Chris babies at the 12-week-old mark, like Elio, are coming out of the sleepy newborn stage and starting to “wake up”.
“This can come as a bit of a surprise to mums when their sleepy baby starts to change. At this age, they often need more help to get to sleep. They are also prone to waking at the 45-minute cycle and need help getting back to sleep,” says Chris.
How to help your 12-week-old baby to sleep
- Allow extra time to help your baby wind down before sleep.
- Make sure the room you put him to sleep in, is quiet and calm.
- Wrap baby and give him a long cuddle.
- Ease him into the cot, and keep your hand on his tummy to reassure him you’re close.
Em mentioned baby Elio ended the day with a big vomit, and Chris says this too is nothing to be too concerned about if it’s one-off.
“If the baby has spent the day unsettled, its likely mum has been cluster feeding to settle him. Add frequent waking to that and it’s easy for this to build up and the baby becomes overtired and very full,” says Chris.
If the unsettled pattern continues for two or three days, Chris recommends making an appointment with your child health nurse.
“Just check in with them and ask what could be going on for your baby? You may need some help learning to adjust their sleep and feed routine,” says Chris.
Just don’t forget the cuddles.
