by Kristen Chastain

Created on: December 29, 2010   Last Updated: January 04, 2011

Bringing a baby into this world is a time of joy and happiness.  Sometimes that joy can come with frustration and anxiety because the infant may be high needs.  This means the baby will cry a lot and be hard to soothe.  This will leave the parents wondering what is wrong with their baby and if there is anything they can do to fix it.

There are several different reasons for a baby to cry.  One of the most common culprits is colic.  When a baby has colic, they are very gassy and uncomfortable and therefore they cry.  There are different things you can do to soothe your baby.  Try giving the baby a warm bath or holding the baby in the shower with you.  The warm water will help ease any stomach pain the baby feels.  White noise and vibrations can calm a colicky baby, such as the vacuum, washer, and dryer.  carrying the baby in the football hold with their stomach on your forearm can help relieve pressure and ease your baby's pain.

Listen to your baby's cry and determine if it sounds of pain.  You can take the baby into the pediatric doctor and have him or her checked out to rule out any serious illness.  Your baby may be crying due to your nervousness as a new parent.  If you are tense, the baby can sense this and will feed off of your emotions throughout the day.  Just relax, you are not supposed to be an expert and this will take time to get used to.  You are a parent now and you will do what is right for your child.  Never doubt yourself and your baby won't either.

Your baby may just cry a lot for no particular reason.  The average baby cries for 5 to 10 minutes at a time throughout the day.  This is good for the baby to work the muscles of the baby's body.  Just stay calm and try to soothe your baby the best you can and know that this to shall pass.  Every baby and mother is different so there is no need for comparison to others babies.  Your baby needs you for this short period of time.  Infancy goes by so fast and before you know it, there will be other questions you have about the issues concerning your growing child.  Parenting is the hardest, most rewarding job there is.  So hang in there, this stage will be over soon.

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