Your Baby Week 34
It's important to keep in mind that all babies reach milestones in their own time at their own pace. By week 34, your baby might be able to stand while holding on to someone or something, play peek-a-boo, wave, clap her hands, crawl and maybe even get up into a sitting position from her stomach, or pull into a standing position from sitting. If your baby hasn’t hit all these milestones yet, be patient. A month or two can bring a world of change.
You may experience some troubles leaving your child with the babysitter, as separation anxiety may be beginning for the first time. But, you may also find the opposite is occurring; your child is perfectly content and happy when she is with the babysitter, but she acts up whenever you come home. There are many possibilities that could be causing this behavior.
Timing Might Be Everything
If you are working full-time or have just had a busy day, chances are that you are coming home to your baby for the first time in the early evening. This may be right when your infant is beginning to get sleepy from playing all day and is hungry for dinner. You may also be stressed from your day at work, the commute, or just life in general. Babies can pick up on your mood too, and react accordingly. If you are distracted when you get home, you can probably see how they would use their behavior to gain your attention. Crying and acting fussy are a sure way to get you to refocus your energy and attention on them.
To make your homecomings easier, you may want to address the problems we have identified above. If you think being hungry may add to your child's crankiness, have the babysitter feed your infant an hour or so before you return home. If a full meal isn't practical, a small healthy snack might do the trick. Be sure the snack isn't sugary, because a sugar crash will lead your baby right back to the behavior you are trying to avoid. If you think your baby might be overtired from a full day of playing, perhaps your sitter could set her down for a short nap a few hours before you return home. Be sure it's a short nap however, since you wouldn't want to disrupt his usual bedtime with too much rest during the day.
The Power of Relaxing
Your mood affects your baby's mood, so if your commute home is particularly stressful, or if you are already reviewing the laundry list of chores you need to complete when you walk through the door, you may want to try these techniques to help you relax before you see your baby for the first time that evening.
- Bring some of your favorite music with you for the ride home. Sing along or just listen and let it relax you before you walk through the front door. Don't be afraid to experiment. You might think you need nice tranquil songs, but something with a heavy bass or fast tempo might be just want you need.
- Take a walk around the block. If you still feel amped up or stressed out, give yourself a little more time to relax. If you feel pressed for time, remind yourself that in the grand scheme of things, another 5 minutes probably won't set you too far behind schedule, but will do a world of good if you can enter the house calm and focused.
- Don't rush when you walk through the door. Though you may be thinking about the mountain of laundry you need to start, for example, take a moment to be with your child as soon as you walk in the door. Be sure to find him in the house and get involved in what he is doing or playing with.
- Don't rush the babysitter out the door. Once your child knows that you are home, you may want to have the babysitter present for another 10 minutes or so to make the transition from him or her to you more gradual.
- If you have a lot to do once the babysitter leaves and your child seems interested in interacting with you, be creative and include him in your nightly routine. If you need to check some pesky email from the office, bring your baby near the computer so he can see the screen and watch you type. If you need to get some laundry done, sort your clothes with your baby close by. Be sure to talk to your baby as you go through your nightly routine. This will help to make him feel included.
