Being a parent is the best rewarding experience of your life.
But no matter how excited you are to welcome a new life into your home, some fears and uncertainties can weigh on your mind.
When I gave birth, many people gave me advice from friends, family, and the entire community.
For sure, I listened to everything they said.
It was not until I began asking myself questions and digging more profound that I realized almost everything I was doing was wrong.
So today I will save you lots of troubles and problems that I went through.
In the rest of the article, I will discuss some of the biggest myths about newborns.
Babies don’t have the sense to feel.
Some midwives and doctors still convince mothers that a newborn baby does not feel. The baby cannot miss her mother when taken away from them.
From generation to generation majority of American male babies have been subjected to circumcisions due to religious or cultural beliefs.
This is because they believe the newborn baby will not feel pain or figure out what’s happening.
A lot of torture is performed on newborn babies in anticipation that they don’t have a sense of feel.
In 1975 French Obstetrician Fredrick Lobbyer came up with a new approach called birth without violence.
He and his colleagues discovered that a newborn baby has a sense of feeling.
Their cries of pain are original. They do not fake. Thus newborn babies have a sense of feel.
Newborn babies have poor brain capacity.
Another myth about newborns is that they have poor brain capacity and cannot reason for themselves.
For many years psychologists and pediatricians have been supporting this myth.
However, without a brain, a newborn baby would have no experience, history, or any form of intelligence.
Babies can’t think
A recent book on the nature of the child by a noted Harvard psychologist says, “the cortex of a young infant resembles that of an adult rat.”
He wonders how can a very young soul, as a newborn, thinks. What can they be thinking about?
Many psychologists have come up with terms such as pre-symbolic in their arguments that newborns don’t feel.
However, a recent investigation shows that newborn babies do a lot of thinking.
For example, you will find an infant gazing at you, screaming in protest, or grasping something with excitement.
You will also find newborn babies listening carefully to their mothers while talking or reading a book aloud.
Apart from this, newborn babies dream a lot as compared to adults. Therefore, how can they dream without thinking if they are great dreamers?
They don’t need their mothers.
This situation tries to justify those newborn babies don’t need their mothers, whereby they are kept in nurseries, away from their mothers, to grow healthy.
This is not true. The bond between mother and newborn is unconditional. Newborn babies need to recognize their mothers well.
Their Age myth
Age is another myth used to define status. The younger the person, the lower the status. We think that babies cannot listen, feel or learn from others.
The truth is that from day one, newborn baby can engage in certain activities, produces sounds, and express themselves.
You can control your baby’s sleep patterns.
This is a myth. You have no control over your newborn’s patterns. Many mothers will try to read and get a lot of knowledge about their babies sleeping patterns; however, none of those works.
Newborn babies will often sleep and wake up when hungry or uncomfortable; maybe the diaper leaks when they are up or distracted.
The babies should be put to sleep by their stomachs
This can be very dangerous for newborn babies. Many years back, the government recommended it.
However, new studies have shown that many babies put to sleep on their stomachs or side have a higher risk of sudden infant syndrome.
Thus the best sleeping of a newborn baby is on their back.
You will spoil your newborn baby by picking them up whenever they cry
This is not true. Only after nine months can the baby cry to manipulate you every time they want attention.
However, skin-to-skin contact between a newborn baby and a mother is essential before nine months. This brings them a sense of love and security.
Newborn babies need a lot of sunlight.
Babies don’t need a lot of sunlight because the harsh sun can cause damage to baby’s sensitive skin.
According to research, newborns need vitamin D, and sunlight can help them. However, remember to use sunscreen on their skin when taking them out.
Firm massages will help your newborn grow.
Messages should be gentle when it comes to a newborn baby. Many people tend to believe this myth and give their newborn babies a rough massage which is not healthy.
Naps aren’t necessary.
For newborn babies, naps are essential to help them grow healthy. Thus newborns should take naps, especially during the daytime and at night.
Baby walkers help baby walk.
Baby walkers don’t help a baby walk. Studies show that babies who use walkers tend to walk late compared to those who don’t. Babies can fall and get injured.
Newborn babies need water when it’s hot.
Newborn babies do not need water until they are six months. Breast milk provides enough nutrients required in the body.
Baby’s kidneys are immature, and giving them water would harm the electrolytes, which would be more dangerous.
The newborn’s length will tell you how tall they will be in future
This is not true. The best predictor for the actual baby’s height is the parental height.
Conclusion
It is just weird how some people believe in such myths about newborns. You should consult your doctor if you doubt anything concerning your newborn baby.
These are some myths about newborns that exist. How many did you believe and practice?
What were the funniest and most strange myths about newborns have you heard?
Don’t be quiet share with us in the comment section below
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