Babies cry .....
Babies cry ….. they do! They cry at all different times of the day and night. Sometimes, the crying is short lived and sometimes it can go on for hours.
What do you do? As a parent, what should you be doing? Well, that all depends on whether your baby has medical issues. However, if your baby is completely healthy but teething, or not sleeping because they have a blocked nose and it’s uncomfortable, or they’re suffering with colic or constipation there are a few things that you can do.
Teething - if your baby is in pain, you may want to give them a sugar-free painkilling medicine. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can be given to relieve teething symptoms in babies and young children aged 3 months or older. Children under 16 years old should not have aspirin.
Blocked nose - you can try massaging up the bridge of the nose, then down again and across the cheeks. This can help to unblock sinuses and help to ease congestion. You can also try putting a few drops of saline into each nostril and then use a bulb syringe to remove mucus. This simple home remedy works by thinning the mucus which can help your baby feel more comfortable. It's suitable for babies of all ages. Older babies, however, may not like the bulb syringe up their nose. Use aromatherapy oils in a diffuser - Eucalyptus oil works wonders to help a baby breathe easier, especially at night when they’re trying to sleep.
Colic or constipation - massaging the tummy can help to ease the symptoms of both colic and constipation. If you’ve ever been on an IAIM baby massage course, there is a specific technique that they teach to relieve the symptoms of colic and it works just as well for constipation. Regular tummy massage helps to keep the digestive system working efficiently.
It’s none of the above and your baby isn’t hungry, doesn’t have a wet nappy, isn’t tired or sleepy! Perhaps your baby is feeling overwhelmed - the world is a scary place and your baby was, once upon a time living quite happily snuggled inside your womb, listening to your heart beat and the sound of your breathing. Now they are outside and they want to be close to you as often as possible but, even then, sometimes they are just overwhelmed by everything and need to let it out.
How can you help in this instance? When rocking them, singing to them, ssssshhhhing them to make the womb noise doesn’t work, is there anything else you can do? You can let them know that you’re listening to them. Holding them closely to your body and taking in some very deep, slow breaths can be both calming for you and your baby.
Try to make eye contact and tell them you are listening to them. Often a baby gets so agitated when they are crying that they can’t see you and they don’t recognise that you are talking to them and trying to understand what they want. Try laying your baby down on a safe surface (floor, bed, cot, changing table), take some deep breaths in and hold your baby’s hands or try resting touch on their tummy and see if you can make eye contact. Talk to them and tell them that you are listening to them, that you can hear them - often, once they make eye contact with you, they will stop crying and look at you. By doing this, you are telling them that you respect them, you hear them and you’re not trying to shut them down, you’re trying to help them.
It’s hard when a baby cries to keep calm because you want to help your little one and to support them. Try to remember that all babies cry and it will get better. You are not alone but, if it all gets too much for you, talk to someone, get some help. Sometimes, just talking to someone else and knowing that all parents go through this can make a world of difference. Crying is how babies communicate and it is our job as adults to listen to them and to be there for them. Babies cry …..