Phantom Cries
When you join the ‘new mom‘ club, one of the membership freebies nobody talks about are phantom cries. For example, when you’re taking a shower and all you hear is your baby crying (except they are not crying; in fact they are sleeping soundly)š¤. Oh, the mind is a powerful thing. Before you start thinking you’re crazy, let’s dig deeper into what causes phantom cries and how you can conquer them.
Phantom Cries Explained
According to Megan Grey, MD, phantom cries “…most likely has to do with a highly stimulated maternal brain that is being wired to be cued by baby’s cries, leading to a heightened awareness to sound.” She goes on to say in the article that physicians experience the same thing–hearing their pagers going off when they’re not on call (and the pager isn’t on, either). So it looks like we’re not alone. Great, there’s strength in numbers. But what can we do about it?
Conquer the Phantom Cries
Buy an audio baby monitor. The lights that illuminate when sound is detected will be a lifesaver when you’re not sure if your baby is really crying. I also appreciate the simplicity of this monitor because when my hands are wet from washing dishes or taking a shower, I don’t have to worry about trying to turn on my phone to access the app for my fancy baby monitor. I don’t have to touch a thing.
Shower Without Panic
Want to enjoy your shower? Put the base in the room where your child is sleeping and carry the monitor to where you will be. Place the monitor in a plastic bag (if you want to be fancy, you can use a clear dry bag). Tape the bag to the outside of your shower or hang it from a nearby towel rack. The lights from the monitor need to be in your line of sight so if you hear the baby crying, all you need to do is glance over. If the lights aren’t dancing, keep showeringšæ.
Nap Without Guilt
Catching a quick napš“ while baby is sleeping is another scenario where phantom cries rear their ugly head. Time to keep that monitor close! When you hear the cries, look to see if the monitor is lit up. If it’s not, close those eyes. While you may not get uninterrupted sleep because you are playing peek-a-boo with a baby monitor, it’s way better than actually getting out of your bed multiple times to check on your peacefully, sleeping baby.
While it may take time for phantom cries to go away on their own, continue to build your arsenal of coping strategies. Instead of straining your ears, let technology work in your favor. Invest in a no-frills baby monitor that you can bring with you wherever you go. It will give you the freedom to be productive and you’ll still feel like the attentive mama you arešš¾.
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This post will be really helpful for all parents. I canāt wait to be a mum and posts like these will be incredible helpful. Thank you for sharing!
Lauren
Thank for your taking the time to comment, Lauren! If you have any mum friends, feel free to share it with them, too! Xx
This a very helpful post on a very important topic! If I become a mother one day Iāll definitely consider checking this post again. Thank you so much for sharing. x Penny | http://www.whatdidshetype.com
Thank you so much for reading, Penny! Xx
A lot of mamas would keep wprrying about their baby and can’t sleep. This is amazing that it can help them with that.
Agreed! Thank you for reading!
This is such an interesting article. When my little one was only a few weeks old, I would think she was crying when I had the extractor on in the bathroom and there was a small noise level.
Yessssss. It’s so interesting how our mind/body changes after we have a child.
This is an amazing post. It would be very interesting to all new parent. It is something for me to think about for the future when I am ready to have children. Thank you for sharing.
You’re most welcome; thanks for reading!
This was a really helpful post! I’m not a parent yet – and I won’t be any time soon – but a monitor sounds like such a handy idea! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading!!
Wonderful post! I enjoy learning new things about what to expect even though Iām not a mom myself. But Iāll definitely be sharing this with new parents!
Thank you so much for reading!