Can a baby be over-stimulated and how?

Question

I need your unbiased opinions. I am in a disagreement with my husband's family about how much activity my daugher can handle. She is now 3 months old, but we have been fighting about it since the day I brought her home. (EVERYONE was there by the way.) In their (grandparents, aunts, cousins, great-grandparents) opinion babies cannot be over talked to or over handled. They do not think it is a problem to pass her around 20 people, and have 3-5 people standing around talking a taking pictures. Having her away from her home and going from a sports event, to shopping, to dinner, etc in one day isn't too much.

I DO. I feel like a little of it is great, but not all at once. People can hold her and talk to her, but they need to watch her cues for over-stimulation. A calm baby is a happy baby. And happy babies grow up to be calm and stable people.

I love this family, and need to resolve this. Please shoot it to me straight. Give me resources about over-stimulation. Thanks!!

PS. I don't want to be called an overly worried mother. I have a degree in birth -7yr old development and minor in child psych. My opinions are based on research. I just want to know what you think about over-stimulation, not about me.

And I want websites.

Please ;)

Answer 1

Babies can be overstimulated. You need to say very respectfuly to them that they can play until you say it's time to put her down. than just take her to the other room and let her relax. Or just tell the family it's time to feed her and go to the other room, after she is fed read her cues, if she is up to more play, go for a little more, if she is not, you can put her down to sleep in the other room.

Be direct and respectful. after all, you want to have a happy home, not a fight everytime you come over.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I totally agree with you. Babies can be overstimulated, and cues SHOULD be watched for, but many people do not know what to look for. I've seen babies who are way over stimulated as infants turn into "autistic" toddlers (I'm not saying that this is proven or anything, but from my own experiences, I have observed this several times), colicy babies, or just unhappy ones. Every baby needs down time, and while some do fine with only a little, others need more. During these times, the room should be quiet and just mommy and maybe one other person. Your right, a calm baby is a happy baby, and happy babies grwo better, thrive, and are healthier throughout their lives. My internet is being slow right now, so I'll get back to you on some websites.

Answer 3

I say yes. I am the mother of 4. I have experienced that when a baby gets too much stimulation they need a break. My daughter at about 6 weeks would be miserable in large groups of people and as soon as we left the party, she would be happy and relax. Or she would cry for hours because she was messed up.

One time I was out to lunch with some girlfriends. My son was about 6 months old and he cried and screamed and could not be consoled. Up until that time I could be out in public with him and if he was unhappy, all I had to do was nurse him and he would be just fine. This time I finally left and took him home. We walked into his bedroom and he was immediately quiet and leaned toward
his bed.

I'm like that, when I have heard too many noises or too many voices or too much music or TV. I just want to go to my room where it is quiet. Babies are like that too.

People who don't live with you don't care if after they leave your baby cries for 2 hours because she has been handled too much. And face it -- babies want their mommies, not aunts and uncles and sometimes not even daddy.

I heard a nurse in a hospital special care unit tell a new mother to tell her family and friends that the doctor gave you orders that only x number of people could hold her for x minutes a day and then stick to it. Better yet ask your doctor - he'll probably be on your side. And if your husband is siding with his parents, have the doctor talk to him.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Too much of a good thing, such as a birthday party or a visit to grandma's house, can send even the most laid-back baby into overdrive. But boisterous play too close to bedtime is the most common cause of overstimulation. Excitement, tiredness, and tension combine at the end of the day to keep your infant from settling down.

Newborns are particularly susceptible to overstimulation if kept awake for more than a couple of hours at a time. Colicky babies are also thought to be more sensitive to stimulation than others, but new sights and sounds can overwhelm any young baby's developing nervous system.

Look for the first signs of sleepiness — rubbing the eyes or pulling on an ear — and get your baby to bed. If you are at an event w/ the in laws, tell them baby is getting tired and take her to a seperate quiet place!

Answer 5

The only time I have ever seen my babies (five in all) anxious or upset, was when I became anxious or upset. I am from a large, loving family as well, and having them around to love and attend to the babies was comforting for all of us. The "handling" and picture- taking resulted in a very sleepy baby sometimes, but a nap was all that was needed to fix that.
You are not used to the dynamics of a large family, and unsure of your parenting skills may feel threatened by the attention paid to your infant. Since you don't even know the signs or symptoms of "over-stimulation" and are demanding that they watch for "cues of overstimulation" I think your trying to pick a fight with the in-laws.
Any experienced parent will tell you that calmness is a trait, either a baby has it or doesn't have it. And plenty of "uncalm" people are happy and stable.

Answer 6

Yes, some babies can become overstimulated very easily. It is dependent upon their nervous system tolerance. If your baby has a hard time, fussiness, after such events, you may want to explain this to your family. Some infants do not like excessive noise, transitions or sensory input and will react poorly to same.
Sometimes moms too have poor sensory tolerance and this is fine . You know what is best for baby, so just attend for short amounts of time until she is older, You can do an Internet search on sensory processing in infants and get plenty of information. Best of luck to you and baby. My sister has a fussy one now who has a terrible time with over stimulation from big events. She briefly attends mandatory events and does not let everyone hold her because it makes for a miserable baby.

Answer 7

My daughter gets fussy if too many things are going on at once and it takes a loooong time to get her back to normal. If we've had a really busy day her bedtime seems to be an issue. If we are at a family function or other event with lots of stimuli I try to give her breaks from everything by taking her for a short walk away from everyone or just sitting in a quiet room. Good luck with your in-laws!!

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/toddler/sleep/overstimulation/

Answer 8

I dont propose any video clips or television in any respect, even though how sturdy they're the fewer television a new child has the extra perfect it particularly is for his progression. As for video games, confer with him a lot, positioned him on his tummy with some toys, additionally in case you have slightly one gymnasium it particularly is great for stimulation and watching new products, toddler rubdown is a great resource for one-one concentration interest. Play along with his legs, softly cause them to kick, etc. As for the Autism isn't real. Autism is a ailment that has not something to do with suggestions progression, particularly an excellent style of the autistic babies are somewhat clever. to boot that, you look doing super, make constructive he spends a lot of time on the floor (aka carpet, mat etc) the place he can flow his legs and palms freely, and look at toys.. you additionally can play some music.. it doesnt would desire to be Mozart, if it particularly is in basic terms a new child's music CD is super.. in simple terms save it in a low quantity with the intention to not scare him with the loud sounds. sturdy success!

Answer 9

The more exposure your baby ets to people, places and things at an early age make her more comfortable with life in general. If a baby is unhappy in any way they cry to let you know. So that is the clue. If the baby starts wailing then it is tired of what is going on around her. For the most part babies don't sense much beyond their immediate space. So if she is at a mall, then a base ball game then a movie she is only concerned with being held in your or anyone's loving arms. ENjoy her - I think you are a bit over concerned. Relax - this must be your first..

Answer 10

I agree with what you are saying. No need to over-stimulate, could make the baby cranky or overtired or whatnot.
You can't spoil a baby with love..maybe that's what they're thinking about. If your baby is crying, pick it up and never let it cry itself to sleep. They need to feel loved and nurtured and secure.
BUT, I do believe there is a limit to how many ppl it's passed around to, etc.
They have to respect your decisions as the mommy. Don't back down. They will run over you forever if you let them away with it now.