Core idea 21
Your baby will be all about the baby, not you
Babies are entirely focused on their own needs. Their brains are working intensely to adjust to life outside the womb. Their cardio-vascular and gastro-intestinal systems are adjusting to their new world. They can smell and hear better than they can see. They can sense light and shades of color but cannot focus clearly.
They are motivated to alert you when they need your help. So they cry when they are hungry, hurt, or uncomfortable. Their thoughts focus more what they experience than about anything outside of them. When they do cry, they are motivated by their own needs, not by wanting to cause you distress. They cannot stop crying because you are upset or angry. They are not yet aware of you as a separate person.
In other words, don’t take their fussing personally. Healthy babies cry and fuss when they are in distress because they have learned that you and your partner will respond to help them. Babies who are not supported with attentive care will stop crying and become dangerously apathetic. They become depressed and lose the will to live.