Listening to your baby cry is so hard. Your instincts tell you to run and pick him up.
Your instincts are right. You should pick up your newborn right away and try to find out
what will make him feel better. You can’t spoil a newborn baby. Young babies whose
cries are met with go on to cry less and less as they get older. Newborns cry for atleast
2 hours each day. But almost one third of their cries are not due to any logical
explanation such as hunger, cold and wet or dirty diapers.Babies who are 4-6 weeks old are very crabby. Most have a fussy period in the
late afternoon or evening. They are not hungry, wet or cold, but are just letting off
steam. We expect babies to get better as they get older, but crying increases in the first
6 weeks. Babies start crying at this age for about 3 hours each day. The crying tapers off
on it’s own when the baby is around 3 months old.
How to comfort a fussy baby? (don't mothers need
comforting?)
- Try holding your baby upto your shoulder and rub her back.
- Try a rocking chair.
- Try holding your baby across your lap.
- Patting the baby in a regular rhythm may be soothing.
- A cloth baby carrier soothes the baby and let’s you do other things. Babies have to
get used to such carriers when they are 2-6 weeks old, specially with maids getting hard
to find and mother-in-laws abstaining.
- Walk around your home, holding you baby and talking to him
- Babies love to suck but should not be overfed. After a bottle fed baby has had his
bottle, offer a pacifier while still holding him. Breast fed babies can be nursed on the
breast, which was just used for nursing with to offer comfort without risk of overfeeding.
- If your baby is tense, try rubbing his back gently or move your cheek over his in a slow
rhythm that coincides with his breathing.
- If your baby seems too active, try wrapping her snuggly in a blanket.
- Some parents take the baby for a ride in the car.
- Some parents sing to their babies.
Causes:
- Colic
- Wet nappy
- Hunger
- Need to suck
- Need to be cuddled
- Overtired
- Uncomfortable – too hot or too cold
Consult a Doctor if you notice:
- Blood in stools
- Blood or green tinged vomit.
- Waking up over and over again in the middle of the night with screaming pain not related
to feeding.
- Vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation getting worse.
- Sluggishness when awake.
- Severe long lasting distension of the belly.
- High temperature.
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