Keep Calm and Deal with Your Crying Baby

Babies cry and adults, especially parents, are programmed to respond to crying babies. Many a times, an inconsolable baby can make the calmest of adults lose their cool. It’s one of the more difficult things that new parents have to deal with. Here’s the low-down on a baby’s crying patterns and how to calmly deal with them.

Babies cry. They cry a lot, especially in the first year and most of all in the first three months. It’s panic-inducing, especially if you’re worried that something is terribly wrong. Since crying is baby’s only way of communicating, it means that you have pay attention. Soon you’ll be in tune enough with your baby’s wails that you’ll be able to tell the difference between the ‘I’m scared’ cry and ‘I’m bored’ cry, and everything else in between.

Why babies cry

Babies’ needs are not many. They need to be fed when they’re hungry; comforted when they’re feeling scared or lonely, etc. Each of these needs has its own unique cry. Here are the main reasons babies cry, so always check for these first.

Hunger

Before they’re born, babies don’t know what feeling hungry is, because they are constantly ‘fed’ by their mothers via their placenta. To them, hunger is a new feeling.

Feeling uncomfortable

A soiled and wet nappy is one cause of discomfort. Itches due to rashes might also cause a baby to wail out loud. Check your baby from head to toe and change baby’s dirty diaper whenever needed.

Boredom

Yes, babies get bored too, and boredom leads to restlessness. Parents have to keep in mind that babies too need company and need to be entertained now and then. After all, wouldn’t you get restless too if you were alone in the cot all day? Picking him or her up for a soothing cuddle could be the answer, for there is nothing more enjoyable for a baby than the warm embrace and gentle voice of his father or mother.

Baby’s in pain

This is the cry that we tend to respond to without a second thought. The mere tone of this type of cry sets it apart from the fussy cry of boredom or the cry of crankiness. Check your baby all over for possible physical or external causes of pain. Colicky babies tend to cry out loud too because of the intense tummy discomfort. Check for signs of illness, like a rash or a high temperature, and if you’re still worried, call your pediatrician.

Baby feels scared

Let’s not forget that to a baby, everything is new. Things we take for granted like noises from the vacuum cleaner, the doorbell, or even a honk from a passing car outside the house can be terrifying for an infant who previously spent months inside a cushy, quiet womb! Reassuring baby with a cuddle in your strong, fatherly arms will do wonders in calming your little one down.

When the crying won’t stop

When you’ve done all the necessary and the wailing continues, it gets pretty tiring. While it’s normal to feel a little anxious, it will do you absolutely no good to panic. Here are some things that might help:

• White noise: Continuous background noises, like some soothing music might help. There are even white noise machines available in the market that might do the trick!
• A walk or drive: Take baby for a walk or a drive. Often, a change of scenery will do it.
• Lullabies: Something repetitive like a nursery rhyme.
• Talk to your baby: Babies love to hear the gentle, soothing voices of their family members
• Rock-a-bye baby: Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most effective, such as holding baby in your arms while walking and rocking at the same time.

What to avoid doing when dealing with a crying baby

Understandably, anxiousness and panic might influence one’s actions, especially when feeling helpless at not being able to make a baby stop crying. In any case, keep calm and remind yourself that you can do this. Ask for help if you really cannot cope. In any given situation where you’re trying to deal with a crying baby, the following are to be avoided at all costs!

• Shaking the crying baby: This can cause lasting damage – internal bleeding or even brain damage.
• Letting anger take over: This is to be taken seriously as well, for anger makes one react in questionable ways. If you feel anger coming on, put the baby in the cot and go into another room until you calm down.
• Raise your voice at baby: This will leave baby frightened and your little one will then have more reason to continue crying.