Being a first time parent is wonderful and exhilarating, but also daunting - everything is truly a first and most things confront you with an issue or behavior you’ve never seen before. You have made it out of the hospital, you brought your little bundle of joy home and you somehow establish something of a routine in those first magical and tiring weeks. And then, when going for your baby’s two month check up, you are confronted with yet another completely unknown - their reaction to the first few vaccines.
Getting these vaccines is extremely important for your baby and also puts your mind at ease when bringing them out in public. But what do you do about what is hopefully their first experience of true discomfort and pain?
My daughter Lily never really screamed much, even when she was one day old. She was a calm and mellow baby, most of the time. But after she had received the two month vaccine shots, she just screamed and wouldn’t stop. For two days, she was feeling uncomfortable and strange. Tylenol can help, but only goes so far.
But there is one silver bullet that worked for me like magic when Lily was inconsolable after those first vaccines - baby wearing. Tucking Lily in her baby carrier and holding her close to me was the one thing that would calm her down and help her go to sleep for those two days. Newborns of course want to be close to you all the time, but especially in times of discomfort and pain. Baby wearing helped both me and my husband to get through those tough two days while still being able to have your hands free and do things. She would contently sit in there, even when awake, and just look at you with her big brown eyes, happy that she was close to you.
After two days, Lily was back to her usual self and also newly protected against all kinds of nasty diseases. And I had learned the important lesson that baby wearing can save many tears and frustrations during times of discomfort and illness. Knowing how much comfort it gave my baby took the worry about the next shots away.
By Lisa S.