At The Hairdressers

Last Friday at the hairdressers, the young mum before me was still being blow dried, so Melissa and I sat down to wait. The baby started making hungry noises and I sighed as the even younger friend prepared a bottle and went to heat it. This all took some time and I was quietly pointing out to Melissa how distressed the baby was becoming and how sad it is to keep a hungry baby waiting. By the time the bottle was ready, the 3mo was beyond the whole thing, screaming, red in the face and very distressed. The mother, about the age I was when Melissa was born (as I pointed out when she commented how young they were) took over from her cousin, but the baby was not going to take the bottle. The cousin stood and jiggled and rocked but to no effect. So she took baby out onto the footpath to rock and jiggle: we could hear the crying throught the glass. I withstood the impulse for about 10 mins, but the cousin caught my eye when I looked out and I motioned her inside. I asked the mum if I could try and settle her and she agreed, somewhat stunned!Jiggle, jiggle, pat, pat, ssh, ssh ...... hand firmly on bum other hand firmly on back of head against my chest. Almost instant result and soon the eyelids drooped and she dropped off to sleep. I felt so guilty and hastily added my 3rd cried for six months and you never forget, yada, yada and threw in I work with babies for good measure. She asked if I would come home with her! Baby cries like that often. I wasn't game to ask about bf etc, just made lots of reassuring noises about it getting better.Hairdresser (my new one, 21 and childless) was quite impressed and confided her mum would have done the same thing! I confessed to my ABA role and mentally noted to get a BF welcome sticker for the salon.