
By Jak Burke
The hardest thing for any new parent is the sound of their baby crying non-stop. All kinds of thoughts pass through our minds. Often the reasons are quite simple.
- Hunger. Breast-fed babies experience symptoms of hunger more than formula fed babies. A mother’s milk is thinner and a baby takes in smaller amounts. Offer your infant more milk and gauge the response.
- Discomfort. Is your baby in a wet or soiled diaper? Is your baby too hot or too cold? Babies are extremely sensitive to temperature changes.
- Exhaustion. Infants require a lot of sleep, particularly newborns as they adjust to a daytime and night-time schedule. Most babies need to sleep after a feeding.
Not one of those things?
- Pain. Most parents will notice the difference in the way their baby cries. Often the cry will be a sharp, shrill sound that comes in bursts especially if baby is suffering from gas.
- Sick. If a baby’s cry is like a long whine or moan, this might indicate illness. Look for other symptoms like a rash, wet eyes or running nose, or a fever.
- Shocked. Did you drop a plate and cause your baby to be startled? Loud noises or a disturbance can set our infant off.
- Bored. Everyone gets bored including babies. Has our infant spent too much time in a quiet environment? Babies like a change in tempo.
- Over-stimulated. Alternatively our baby might be exposed to too many people or bright lights or noise?
If your infant is not subject to any of the above – how can you remedy the crying?
- Create some white noise. Download an app that offers common sounds like a washing machine, a human heart beat, or a rain storm or new age music.
- Take your baby for a walk or a drive. Motion and movement can help distract our infant from a source of stress.
- Sing songs. There’s nothing more soothing than a gentle lullaby or nursery rhyme to calm a baby down.
- Talk gently. A baby is often relaxed by our soothing voice. Hold your baby close and talk to him or her. Your calmness can often transfer.
- Swaddle or keep your baby close to your body in a cloth carrier. Your baby spent 9-months inside of your body and being held close, smelling and feeling your warmth can mimic that safe experience of being in the womb.
This is a Guide only. If your baby has prolonged crying please contact your pediatrician immediately.