Mommyhood & the BADGERS System

Tomorrow marks 7 weeks old for my baby girl, and over the past weeks I have learned a lot about “mommyhood.” I kept hearing about this “feeling” mothers get when they see their baby, and I knew I was going to feel it too, but I expected it was just a feeling that I had possibly felt before… something like extreme love, joy and happiness. Well, it is all of those feelings, but at the same time, it’s completely different. Worry, concern, and heart-stopping amazement accompanies those other feelings and intensifies them.

To simply say, “I love my baby,” isn’t enough. The word “love” is associated with shopping, pastries, coffee, a summer fling… but love in its true form is what I feel, unconditional by nature.

I feel like I’m in this large secret club of happiness, and the only requirement is being a mom.

One thing you have to get down quick, is figuring out WHY your baby is crying. I came up with an Acronym that helps me rule things out.

B.A.D.G.E.R.S.

When your baby is acting like a BADGER, all crazy like, try these steps:

B: Binky / Boredom: Babies can cry out of boredom, did their toy stop singing, did their mobile stop rotating… give them a little attention, pick them up or restart their singing toys to keep them mentally preoccupied. OR did your baby’s binky/pacifier fall out of their mouth? If your baby is anything like mine, it’s panic time if you cannot find that pacifier! Try plugging it in, if that doesn’t do the trick, move on to the next letter.

A: Appetite, is your baby hungry? Sometimes we miss the early cues of hunger and out of nowhere they will start screaming! Try plopping them on the boob or making them a nice bottle. Remember, if a baby is really hungry they might even fight the boob/bottle until they feel the food in their tummy… If they aren’t taking it, or they just ate, move on to the next letter.

D: Diaper! Check the little one’s diaper. Some babies are completely content sitting in a wet dipe, but others, can’t stand the slightest touch of damp (like my baby!). Check the diaper, if that’s not the culprit then move on to the next letter.

G: Gas! Some babies get gas and cry, that’s just how it is. Lay the baby on their back and move their legs in a bicycle motion, or maybe they just need a good burp… try burping your baby and if that doesn’t settle them down, move on to the next letter.

E: Exhaustion! Did you baby miss their nap time? Did they not sleep well the night before? Try soothing the baby and laying them down for a rest, they may be fighting their exhaustion, so a little crying to sleep never hurt anyone. If your baby refuses to sleep, or they just woke up from a nap, move on to the next letter!

R: Reflux… my baby has acid reflux and she will whine and moan after feedings. Understand the difference between crying and whining and try to help your little one ease their  discomfort. Things to help with reflux are: short feedings but more often, making sure you burp them well, sleeping on back at 45 degrees and if need be they might need a prescribed medicine like Zantac. If your baby doesn’t have the signs of reflux, move on to the next letter.

S: Sick / Size. If you can’t figure out why your baby is crying based on previous letters, it’s possible they aren’t feeling well. This could mean constipation, diarrhea, infected eye, you name it! It can also mean they are growing in SIZE, growth pains and teething is no fun.

If you still can’t find the solution, swaddle the baby, kiss them and go through the letters again… it’s most likely you missed something. Once you get it down, you and your baby will be speaking the same language. Well, that’s until they are teenagers… in that case, good luck!