Wit's end  - day

With an infant at home, everyday is different. Yesterday was such a day that from early morning he was keeping all of us at home on our toes.Yes, literally. He would not stop screaming if we keep him lying down on the bed. So we tried diverting him. But how do you divert a one month old infant.He does not focus and see anything and cannot see colours.You can't take him for a ride in a scooter and keep him quiet.  My daughter quickly referred her handbook on 'what to expect in the first year of your baby' and said, we adults have been hardwired in such a way that we cannot tolerate the cry of an infant.So this is God's way of ensuring a hapless creature has some hold on the adults who take care of him! Amazing!
So,we were frantic.I tried all tricks that popped up in my head to soothe the baby. My daughter said whatever I am doing is stimulating the child and not soothing him! So she tried soothing him. The grandfather was also running around and fetching stuff from ground floor. He could not bear the crying so, tried to do a vamoosing act. He said dont you need anything to be bought from the market? Normally I always have a ready list of items to be got from 'nilgiris' the super shop in the neighbourhood. But yday I ran out of ideas and for once he was not happy to be left scot free! So he tried the next best thing of rushing off to work two hours early.

A good oil massage and a hot water bath just continued the screaming. We hoped that after this and a feed he should be out for the next few hours happily sleeping. But he dozed for exactly ten minutes and continued the mukhari raga where he left off.

By evening my daughter was all hot and sweaty and decided to cool off in the terrace.She had a bright idea, why dont I take the baby also to the terrace. My immediate reaction was such a small baby should not be exposed to the elements as it were. But then I was also willing to try anything. So we wrapped him up in my cotton dupatta and sent him to the cool outdoors. I just took a few minutes off and I was most surprised to see the mother and son happily enjoying the evening breeze.What a sight it was.Was he screaming for getting some fresh air? We would not know. It is a useful point to remember next time he becomes unmanageable.

In the meantime I had fixed up with my sister to go to the paediatrician. So we went. Throughout the drive and while waiting in the garden there, our baby was comfortably sleeping in my dupatta wraparound. What a marvel! My daughter actually asked me, 'please tell me, why have we come here for a consult?"

The doctor is a friend of the family and also quite a cool old man.He had just one look at the baby and  told my daughter your baby is fine.Screaming is a communication, not to worry.Try to rule out possible causes. If he does not sleep much, then you be happy you have  a very bright boy! Try the kangaroo type of hugging him and putting him to sleep, try some soothing music in the room. If he asks for feed every hour give him, you are an AVM! He is gaining weight since last visit, nothing to worry.

The baby continued its angelic behaviour on the way back and since then throughout the night.

I am having time to sit and post this, so it is obvious that peace is reigning and all of us are friendly and not frantic and scampering like headless chickens!








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