Do your emotions really affect your baby’s sleep?

Have you experienced this:-
You are tired, your baby is crotchety and just won’t settle, you feel frazzled and just can’t seem to find that magic solution to calm your baby despite trying everything and then someone suggests that maybe you aren’t coping? Perhaps you have postnatal depression?

[caption id="attachment_2319" align="alignleft" width="150"] Baby can't sleep[/caption]

For a lot women this just adds fuel to the fire. All you want is some understanding and support and you get blame. All of a sudden it’s your fault that your baby is unsettled. How is that fair?
For many this is real. There are many who think for themself, “Maybe I do have postnatal depression” without anyone else suggesting it. In fact the majority of women consider this at some time in the early weeks and months with their baby.
Our emotions affect our interactions everyday of our lives. When we are happy and relaxed, feeling confident and that we have control and influence over our lives, we function extremely well. It’s when this falls down that we may not feel confident and effective in our abilities and responsibilities. This includes our reactions to others including our baby and children and partner.
The reality is that yes your emotions do affect your baby in ways that may interfere with your baby’s sleep. Your emotions affect how you interact with adults why wouldn’t it affect your baby? When you are exhausted, working 24 hours a day as a new parent as well as doing all the other things expected of you it is easy to become reactive rather than responsive.
Your baby responds to your tone of voice, the tension in your muscles and the movements of your actions. Your baby will pick up on any tension way before you will simply because he or she is on the receiving end and knows you better than you know yourself.
Not everyone who has questions about their emotional health with a new baby will have or develop postnatal depression. Some will yes, but not all. For most women the transition to having and caring for a new baby is challenging, draining and confounding for the first few months. Those who have the support, guidance and care of family and friends to support through this transition, not surprisingly do better than those struggling all on their own. It is unrealistic for anyone to perform optimally in a job 24 hours a day, yet we expect this of women with a new baby.
So come on people, next time you think you or someone else may be experiencing difficulty managing with their new baby, offer support not judgement. Have the conversation- How can I help you? What will make a difference to you? If it is you wondering if you may be having difficulty- have the conversation with your family and friends. Tell them what you need- Ask for it. Work out a way you can get it.
It’s imperative we look after mums.