Are you having a difficult time trying to calm your baby? It is normal for babies to become fussy and cry for two to three hours daily. However, they are usually trying to communicate something. Your job is to find out what it is, and what you can do about it. When your baby won't stop crying, it can be stressful, but here are a few things you can do.
Decode the Crying Patterns
Babies cry for different reasons such as being wet after soiling their diapers, being tired or sleepy, hungry, or when they want to move. Over time, ensure you can identify the needs of your baby depending on the way they are crying. A sudden, long, and high-pitched cry will indicate pain, while a short and flat cry indicates hunger. To decode crying patterns, it is best to keep a diary to respond better to your baby's needs.
Stay Calm
Parenting is stressful, especially when your baby won't stop crying even after much effort. However, your baby will tune into your emotions and reactions. When you are frustrated, stressed, and overwhelmed, your baby will pick up on that. The best thing to do is calm yourself first so that you can help the baby calm down.
Your facial expressions, tone of voice, and tension around the shoulders and arms will give you away. Give yourself a break and put the baby down for some time, take deep breaths, or sleep for a few minutes to calm down.
Find a Special Technique and Mantra
With time, you get better at taking care of your baby when they cry. Every baby is unique, and different techniques help to control their crying. When your baby is fed, has a clean diaper, and is not feeling unwell, but still crying, look for a mantra which is a word you say continuously to soothe them.
Use special techniques that work for your baby, for example switching off the lights, playing a laughing track, swinging them back and forth while doing a "shoosh", or going out for a walk to change scenery.
Seek Medical Help
Sometimes your baby's cry could be from pain in the stomach or a headache. They could also be having a fever, and in this case, check their temperature. When either of these is the case, contact your pediatrician immediately so that they can make a diagnosis. Your pediatrician will treat them by prescribing pain and fever medicine for babies or giving an injection.
Contact your doctor when your baby's cry is due to colic, they scream inconsolably after being quiet in their first few months, won't take fluids, have a bulging spot, or keep vomiting.
Bottom Line
Crying is your baby's way of asking for your help or attention. It helps in releasing the tension, and even though sometimes it is overwhelming to you, their fussy periods can translate to deep sleep afterward. Learning their crying patterns will enable you to respond better to their needs.
Find a special technique and word that calms your baby, and remember to stay calm when soothing them. However, if the crying becomes inconsolable and prolonged, visit your pediatrician.
