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We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Listening to the continuous wail of your little one, and all the shushing, rocking and cuddles just will not stop a baby that is on a mission to scream their lungs out. I think we have all wanted to know how to stop a baby crying at some point in our lives.
I remember when my oldest was still a newborn, we’re talking about 6-8 weeks old. He would cry…and cry…and cry. All-day, every day. Being a first-time mum I literally had no clue what I was doing. Was he hungry? Need his nappy changed or need a nap? I tried everything. I just couldn’t figure it out, little did I know at this point I was suffering from postpartum depression, so the excessive crying really took it’s toll on me, mentally and emotionally. The poor little thing ended up having colic (bad) and reflux. Cue the mum guilt that I didn’t figure it out sooner!
Second Time Around is Always Easier.
Luckily with my second child, I was much more ‘in the know’ with all things baby which meant I was much more in tune with what my daughter wanted. For first-time parents not knowing why your baby is constantly crying and constantly wondering how to stop a baby crying, can be really distressing, and it can often make you feel as though you’re doing something wrong and that you aren’t good parents.
This is so NOT the case, as long as you are doing everything you know how to soothe your little one then you are being the best that you can be at that moment in time. I wanted to try and alleviate some of that distress for first-time parents by telling you what I learnt from having two babies, so you can stop wondering how to stop a baby crying and how I have managed to nip the excessive screaming in the bud with these few tips and consistency.
Why Do Babies Cry?
First and foremost, babies cry because it’s their only form of communication with us. they haven’t yet learned to say “excuse me, mum, I’m feeling a bit tired which is making me cranky.” They just let us have it with the screaming!
They also have different types of crying. This takes a little while for you to learn, but you can soon figure out if they’re tired, hungry or just need a cuddle. This is different for each baby as well, so just keep yourself perceptive of the different types of crying and you’ll soon be able to figure it out.
Babies cry for a number of reasons. They’re hungry, tired, in discomfort, need attention, or just want a cuddle. Remember this is the only way they have to communicate for the first months of life.
I was always concerned that if I picked my little one up, every time they cried, that I would spoil them. After talking to my midwife about this, they reassured me that you literally cannot spoil a newborn. Apparently, it’s not until around 4-5 months that babies even start to develop the understanding of, I cry and they pick me up. So don’t sweat it and give your bubba as many cuddles as you can.
How Long do you Leave a Baby to Cry it Out?
Now, there is a lot of stuff to read online about letting your baby cry it out. There are so many different methods of trying to soothe and calm your baby. Personally, I don’t like the cry it out method because, as I have mentioned before, a baby cries because they need something. I also find it really distressing to just let my baby cry and not do anything about it.
I know that some people swear by it, and by all means, if it works for you, then go for it. Just make sure you do a lot of reading on the pro’s and con’s of the cry it out method as there is a lot of conflicting information out there. This article may be helpful.
Related:5 Simple Tips on How to Soothe your Newborn to Sleep
Can a Baby be Hurt by Crying?
This is a hard one. From the reading I have done around this subject, the answer is no, it is not going to physically hurt your baby, and you might agree, that sometimes you just need to let them have a bit of a tantrum (for the older babies) before you settle them down.
There have been studies that show elevated cortisol levels (the stress hormone), but this was with excessive crying without a response from the parents. Remember, it’s not the crying that hurts your baby, it is crying that doesn’t get a response.
Things to Check Each Time your Baby is Crying.
I’ve found a routine that seemed to work for me until I learned my little ones different types of crying, hopefully, it will work for you too so you can stop wondering how to stop a baby crying when it’s 2 am and your bleary-eyed wishing to does back off to the land of nod.
So sometimes, your baby will wake up screaming and you’ll immediately think that they’re hungry right? Yea I used to do this all the time. Then I realised, that most of the time, she just needed comforting and settling back down to sleep. Instead, I was nursing for comfort, instead of hunger. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does make it harder to get them to sleep any other way.
Next time your little one wakes up crying, try checking these in this order instead.
Are they too hot or cold?
Want some comfort?
Need a fresh nappy?
Have wind?
Are they hungry?
Related: Why a Naptime Routine is Super Important for Your Baby.
How to Soothe a Fussy Baby?
This routine works for me every time now. I go through the list until something works.
- Check they aren’t overheating or too cold, to do this feel their torso as this will give the most accurate gauge of temperature. If you are unsure if the room temperature is right, this is super handy! It even changes colour according to the temperature.
- Is it simply a cuddle that they need to go back to sleep? Remember to keep stimulation to a minimum as you want them to stay as sleepy as possible. I have one of these, this sleep aid is an excellent white noise machine.
- I think this is something that would make us cry as well! Imagine having to sleep with a wet pair of pants or ones full of poo?! Self-explanatory really.
- Wind, coming from either end can cause a baby to wake up screaming. Give them a back rub or walking around with a bouncing motion to help move it. If this doesn’t work, give this a go. Infacol helps to bind small gas bubbles together, which is common with Colic. The bigger bubbles make the wind easier to pass.
- And finally! Hunger, this is probably more likely the cause for newborns, however as babies grow they will drop a night feed. So just make sure it isn’t the first thing you always go for because this teaches them to only be soothed by nursing.
Once you have worked your way through this list, you should have a soundly sleeping baby, which means you should be able to get some sleep too mama!
Got any burning questions? Let us know in the comments and I’m sure we can get them solved.
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