by Arianna Larson

Created on: January 19, 2010

Dealing with a fussy baby can be very stressful for parents and caretakers alike.  The constant crying, together with the fact that the baby can not tell you the reason why he or she is crying, just add to the frustration that comes from the fact that you don’t know what to do to settle your baby. Babies cry with such an intensity and emotion that it only makes the person who is dealing with them even more stressed and frustrated; at the same time, all of feelings of you are experimenting can also be sensed by the child, resulting in an increase in the crying. Even experienced parents succumb to this circle so don’t feel bad or think of yourself as a bad parent. Everything is just part of parenthood.

First of all make sure that all basic necessities have been met. Remember, your baby cannot talk and their only way to communicate with you is by crying; they could be telling you that they are hungry, or that they need a new diaper.  Crying does not only translates in something being wrong; so relax and take a deep breathe, your baby will eventually settle down turning into the lovely angel that you brought home. Furthermore, you will learn to recognize the difference in their crying, making it easier for you to solve the problem and calm your baby faster. 

Tip: Children within the first few months of their lives will never cry to manipulate you.  You will not spoil your baby if you tend to him or her every time that cries. On the contrary, babies that are responded to when they cry learn that they are not alone, and that they needs will be satisfied, giving them a better sense of security. 

In infants of 4 months of age and younger is normal to have constant bursts of crying for no apparent reason, but there might be one, colic. Colic is a very common affliction and your pediatrician can determine if that is the reason for the crying. Only in a few babies the issue is more severe; if necessary talk to your baby’s pediatrician in the next visit. 

Ok, so you have make sure that your baby has all that he or she needs but the crying hasn’t stop; then there is time to put some techniques to work. 

Calming a baby will be done by the use of one of more of these actions: movement, sound, distraction and touch. 

Leaving your baby in their crib to cry it out is not going to work, instead, go to your baby and hold him/her close to you. Also since newborns like to be hold tight (as they were on the womb), using

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>