A Guide To Your New Family's First Weeks - Meriter Health Services

Why And When Do Babies Cry
Crying is one way that newborns communicate
their need for attention. Newborns cry an average
of one to three hours per day. Most of the crying
is associated with a need to communicate hunger,
although crying is a late hunger cue. By responding
early to feeding cues, you can help reduce the amount
of crying in newborns (see page 24). Since babies
are hungry at least every two to four hours, delayed
response can result in increased crying.
By the second or third week, babies
begin to have periods when they are
awake and fussy. This is often mistaken
for hunger, but you may find that
offering food does not interest your
baby. Offering your baby a pacifier or
thumb for non-feeding sucking may calm him down.
Your baby’s fussy periods may become predictable.
It is common for babies to be fussy in the late
afternoon and evening. This is often a result of
missed feeding cues. Babies often need to cluster
feed during those times. The fussy period peaks at
about six weeks old but may last up to three months.
The Unusually Fussy Baby
Normal babies can create unusual levels of anxiety
or frustration in a family through long periods of
crying. They are not constantly fussy like the “colicky
baby” who is inconsolably fussy for much of the day.
There is often no identifiable cause for this behavior.
Some babies seem to be extraordinarily sensitive to
their entire environment. They overreact to hunger,
wetness, heat, cold, too much noise and even too
much handling. Special techniques are required in
such cases, but first you must be assured that this is
not a cry of pain or illness. A discussion with your
health care provider may help.
The Crying Baby
A baby’s cry is a way of controlling his environment, and represents a call for help. Studies show that responding early
to a crying infant eventually reduces total crying time. Trust your intuition. If your baby’s crying is of unusual length
or intensity, or if you are concerned the fussiness is due to illness, contact your baby’s doctor.
An unsettled, fussy baby who cries inconsolably despite parents’ efforts to help can be frustrating. We offer these tips
to help, yet sometimes there is no “cure.”
“All babies are good
babies, some are just a
little easier to live with
than others.”
The Baby With Colic
The truly colicky baby creates an especially stressful,
but temporary, situation. These babies are unhappy
“around-the-clock” day after day. A colicky baby’s
entire body is tense. Often he pulls his legs toward
his belly, clenches his fists and has a look of agony
on his face. The crying is often very high pitched. If
nothing seems to give your baby comfort, call your
baby’s doctor to seek advice.
Tips To Help Settle A Fussy
Baby
First, check to see if your baby is
hungry, has a soiled diaper, or needs a
position change.
Other Suggestions:
• Place your baby skin-to-skin (see page 12). This
contact with your body, so that she can feel your
warmth, heartbeat and breathing, is often enough
to calm your baby.
• Swaddle him in a light blanket.
• Try burping. Babies swallow air after long periods
of crying. Burping relieves the ache.
• Stroking, patting or massaging can be soothing.
• Try soft music, swings, rockers, fans or walking
with the baby.
• If crying is due to over stimulation, reduce
stimulation by darkening the room, turning off
the TV or radio and setting your baby down.
Sometimes white noise, like the sound of a fan
or vacuum cleaner, a swooshing sound with
your voice or a radio station with static will help
re-center your baby.
• Use a baby sling. It can provide comfort while
leaving your arms free to do other things.
• Offer a warm bath.
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