Baby and Parenting

In terms of crying some baby’s are better than others, but most mothers will experience times when the baby is crying and they are unsure what to do for the best .The fact is your child could be crying for any number of reasons, the most common reason is hunger, with the second most common reason being indigestion/wind or colic pain. Often babies will swallow some air while feeding which can make them uncomfortable and therefore they will cry. It is a good idea after every feed to carry the baby upright and pat on back gently until they burp (place a towel over your shoulder for this as often baby will regurgitate some milk along with the burp – you have been warned!).

Other common causes of crying include:

• being uncomfortable – a soiled nappy, itchy nappy rash or restrictive clothing can cause crying in many babies. Ensure that your baby’s nappy is always clean make sure clothing is comfortable and loose fitting.
• Being too hot or cold – try and keep a steady temperature in your home, some babies will cry when exposed to sudden temperature changes when they are being bathed or changed.
• Lack of attention or physical contact – some babies cry as they want almost constant reassurance and cuddles. It is important that you find the right balance in this situation as you don’t want your baby to come to expect cuddles any time of the day or night or you will never et any sleep!

Just in case you had not realised, with a newborn baby you can expect to be woken up at least twice during the night for the first few weeks (at least). No matter how many books you read, the best laid plans will likely fall apart in those early days. The main reasons for your baby not sleeping through the night initially is the fact that newborn babies stomachs can only hold around 2-3 hours worth of nutrition. For this reason alone, your sleep will be interrupted. It is important to be firm – without being cruel – from a very early age, that night time is for sleeping and not for cuddles or playing. This does not mean letting your baby cry all night or going hungry! It simply means trying to set some ground rules early on. Try leaving lights off at night, even when feeding and give your child less attention during the night, feeding is OK but cuddling, singing and entertaining the child are not. After first few weeks you can try keeping your baby awake a little longer and perhaps missing that late afternoon nap. This will encourage them to sleep better/longer at night.

You can also try feeding your baby more during the day which may help them to last longer through the night without getting hungry. Some baby’s will respond well to soft music or singing and will drift off to sleep, but others will find this stimulating and will just want more! It is important to be flexible with your baby and try different approaches until you find something that works.