Rocking A Newborn To Sleep – Good Idea Or Bad?

It is an interesting question and one that gets asked all the time, but parents desperate to get their newborn babies to sleep – is it a good idea to rock baby to sleep or to stop them crying? Will it spoil them, will they get used to it, and will it become difficult for the parents at a later stage?

newborn sleepWhile in times past the answer would have been that this will spoil the child, it would be different today, when we understand better the security and comfort needs of a tiny little newborn baby who is still getting used to being on the outside.

It is still getting used to feeling air on its skin, hearing loud noises, far from the warm, watery protection of the mother’s womb.

For the first few weeks, the baby ought to be given all the soothing comfort that he or she needs. Rocking them to sleep or rocking them when they cry is not something a parent should deny them; perhaps later at about 6 or 8 weeks the parents can start to introduce the concept of self-settling helping the child get to sleep by themselves.

The bottom line is, you cannot spoil a child younger than 3 months or have them learn bad habits, so go ahead and rock baby as much as you or the baby wants.

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