Crying
What are
the crying patterns of a newborn?
The first cries of a newborn baby are often music to the ears of
parents. However, over the next weeks and months this "music" can
become grating and painful. This is especially true when all attempts
fail to stop the crying.
Surprisingly,
crying does not produce tears until after the first month or two. Crying
is the way babies communicate. They cry because of hunger, discomfort,
frustration, fatigue, and even loneliness. Sometimes, cries can easily
be answered with food, or a diaper change. Other times, it can be a
mystery and crying stops as quickly as it begins.
You will
soon learn differences in cries, from a cry of "I'm hungry" to
"I've been overstimulated." It is important to respond to your
baby's cries. Contrary to old wives' tales, young babies cannot be
spoiled by being picked up when crying. Being held is reassuring and
comforting when a baby cannot express him/herself any other way.
Some
techniques to help console a crying baby include the following:
- Take
care of physical problems first - hunger, diaper change, need to
burp.
- Walk
with baby in a sling or in a stroller.
- Rock
your baby in a rhythmic, gentle motion.
- Try
a baby swing or rocking cradle.
- Gently
pat or stroke on the back or chest.
- Try
swaddling
the baby.
- Go
for a ride in the car.
- Turn
on some white noise (such as a washing machine or vacuum cleaner).
No matter how frustrated you may become, NEVER SHAKE A
BABY. This can cause severe injury to the baby's fragile brain. If you
become angry or frustrated, allow someone else to take over for a while.
If you are alone, put the baby down in a safe place, such as the crib,
and go to another room for a few moments. This will give you time to
collect yourself. Then you can return to your baby and try a different
tactic to comfort your baby.
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