Shaken Baby Syndrome is preventable. Caring for twin babies can be especially stressful, especially when they are both crying at the same time. It’s hard enough when you have one inconsolable screaming baby, but when two of them are going at the same time it can really be frustrating to the parents !
You need to know that you literally have your babies lives in your hands, as well as any one that you choose to let care for your children. Shaking a baby can kill them. No one plans on hurting their babies of course, but sometimes the stress of crying brings about this reaction in adults to just shake their baby, thinking it will get them to stop . having twin babies can be overwhelming and while you and your family may be used to the crying etc, another caregiver may not be, and may not anticipate the stress that can result from listening to screaming for an extended period of time. Talk with whoever you are letting care for your babies about this information – they may not know.
Shaking your baby can cause brain damage. This can mean everything from learning disabilities, to trouble communicating or understanding inability to speak, and sometimes even complete mental retardation.
Shaken baby syndrome can result in permanent disabilities like causing your baby to go blind by detaching the retina. Shaken baby syndrome can cause deafness. It can even cause partial or complete paralysis. Babies with disabilities like this may need around the clock care for the rest of their lives. You don’t want to shake a baby in a moment of frustration as the repercussions can last forever.
It Only Takes A Moment…
Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in the death of a baby.The back and forth motion causes the brain to bounce off the walls of the skull and causes bleeding both inside and around the brain.The damage that happens inside the baby’s head may not be visible on the outside. Babies who are less than one year of age are much more at risk, but an older child who is violently shaken can also be seriously injured.
Things to Remember
Your babies crying is normal. All babies cry – it’s their way of communicating with us that something is wrong. Crying is a sign that there is something making the baby uncomfortable in some way – they may be tired, have gas pains, teething, too hot or too cold or have a wet or dirty diaper. When you can’t seem to find the reason for the crying, it can be very frustrating – but it’s important to remember that it you’ve done all you can and your baby is still crying, it is OK to just lay them down in a safe place and walk away for a while. Give yourself permission to take a break. Sometimes your baby will just go to sleep and there will be a great calm !
When you feel yourself getting tense and stressed out, walk away or hand the baby to someone else if you can. With twins, you may have one that is more anxious and/or colicky and one who cries much less. Just remember, no matter what – be gentle, and if you feel you can’t, for whatever reason , put the baby down somewhere safe and walk away.
A Few Tips for Dealing with Crying Babies
Look to see if your baby needs to be fed, or their diaper changed or needs to be burped – gas can cause a lot of discomfort.
Feel your baby – do they seem hot? Remove some clothing – or if their hands and feet feel cold, try adding socks or a blanket.
Does your baby seem to be sick or in pain ? Maybe give your pediatrician a call.
Try a baby swing or rock your baby in a rocking chair – the soothing motion will sometimes calm a crying baby.
If driving is an option put your babies in their car seats and go for a ride – may times this will soothe them to sleep very quickly and give your ears a break. ( On that note – maybe invest in some cheap ear plugs – my husband wore them every evening here and said it just brought the pitch of the crying down to a reasonable roar- hm – I think he still wears them )
Try swaddling your babies , wrapping them snuggly so they can’t flail their arms and legs, a lot of babies find this calming. See the picture below.
If all else fails, lay your babies ( gently- even if you feel stressed out ) down in their cribs, turn out the light and shut the door. Try to get away from the sound of crying for a while – you’ll feel better and sometime the babies will just cry themselves to sleep – this won’t hurt them – but shaking them will.
Shaken baby syndrome can be completely prevented from occurring!
Twin Girls Swaddled In BlanketsMake sure that you have help available if you really need it. Two crying babies will frazzle your nerves like nothing else in the world can, and what may work to soothe one baby , may not work with the other.
The important thing to remember is to Never Shake a Baby. The damage could be fatal. The effects of just a few seconds of shaking can cause shaken baby syndrome.
