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Newborn Crying Tips

Your newborn crying at birth: what lovelier sound is there to hear? Filling her lungs with air, she lets you know she is here, loud and clear.

Crying is also the first way for your newborn to communicate with you. In the first weeks and months after birth, crying is part of how baby talks to you. It lets her tell you she's hungry, uncomfortable, cold, in pain, is sad or needs your help. Baby crying in mothers arms

So newborn crying is very normal. Most of the time, you will very easily soothe her, simply by giving her what she needs: a cuddle, feeding, a clean diaper, ...

There may be times when soothing your crying baby is not so easy.

Baby Colic

Many newborn babies have a so-called crying time, usually in late afternoon or evening. For no apparent reason, a baby then cries, and is not easily soothed. This is what most people refer to with baby colic. There is no unique explanation for it and it is not necessarily related to cramps or any other digestion problem.

This crying usually starts around 3 weeks old, peaks at 6 to 8 weeks and most babies grow out of it by the age of 3 or 4 months.

What to do? Soothe your baby as much as you can. Many parents worry about holding their babies too much, fearing they will spoil them but no worries. Research shows that babies cannot be spoilt until the age of 8 months old. A tiny baby needs your help and reassurance and you can give her all of that, without holding back. Of course always in accordance with how you feel and what you feel is right.

Classic tricks to help soothe your crying newborn are all good: holding and rocking, (breast)feeding, singing a lullaby, holding and walking her through the room, put her in the stroller and go for walk, put her in the car seat and go for a drive, use a baby sling, a baby swing, a rocking chair, ...

What helps a lot when trying to soothe a crying baby is when you are calm and relaxed yourself. Which is not always easy with a crying baby near ...

Taking a few long deep breaths can help, and remember that you are helping your baby. Don't take it personal, she is not trying to annoy you, she can't help it either. If you have your partner or anyone else around, do not hesitate to have them try to soothe your baby.

Cry Baby

So it's absolutely normal for your newborn baby to be crying. Some babies though, will cry more than average without any apparent reason. Many call these darlings cry babies. Having a cry baby is a very tough challenge for parents.

When is a baby a cry baby?

A cry baby cries excessively: more than 'normal' for a baby of her age. Because all babies are so different, defining 'normal' is not easy.

Often, to give caretakers and parents and indication, Wessel's rule of threes is used: a baby cries excessively when she:

cries more than 3 hours a day
for at least 3 days a week
for more than 3 weeks in a row

A cry baby is also often restless, over stretches and many times screams rather than cries. Many cry babies communicate very little, it is hard to get through to them.

Use all the above tips to soothe your baby. Seek help, consult your pediatrician or general practitioner to make sure the crying does not have an apparent medical reason: sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.

Don't hesitate to seek help for yourself too, accept help from family and friends and get medical help if you require it. You can also contact me here for support and advice.

Carrying your baby in a baby sling can be very effective to soothe a cry baby and keep her as comfortable as possible.

If you can, consult a good osteopath or chiropractor. Many moms of cry babies have had difficult pregnancies and most often a difficult delivery. Baby can have a bone, vertebra or nerve stuck somehow and that can make her very uncomfortable, and cry. A good osteopath can spot and treat this kind of problem and many parents have reported having a whole new baby after just a few sessions.

Newborn Crying It Out?

Crying it out as a method to soothe your baby or to make her sleep is not suited for a newborn. At later ages, there are many different opinions, pro's and con's but it is not OK to let a newborn cry it out. It will not help or teach your baby anything.

What if you have tried all you can to soothe her, are tired and exhausted yourself and simply cannot bring yourself to try and soothe her?

Then do try and find a friend or family member who can help you. Failing that, you can put your baby down in her crib, make sure she is safe. Then take a few moments for yourself: try to relax and recharge a bit. Do check on your baby often to make sure she is alright. Use all the above advice to help improve how you feel and your newborn crying.

More newborn ideas: newborn sleeping tips.

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