Techniques to Control Crying in Babies
Becoming a parent to a new baby is complicated. While you're ecstatic at having the opportunity to love your little bundle of joy, his cries and screams can turn your smile upside down pretty quickly. Babies cry; there's no getting around that. Crying is the only way they can communicate their needs. However, parents need to learn certain techniques to help control their baby's crying and keep their own sanity intact.
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Assessing Needs
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A key way to control your baby's crying is to assess her needs. Is she hungry? Sleepy? Does she need to be changed? Is she cold or uncomfortable? By checking thoroughly to make sure everything is okay, you will typically come across the source of her tears. The Dunstan method (featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show") can help parents understand their child's needs within their baby's first three months of life. The concept behind the Dunstan method is that newborn babies, no matter their country of origin or native language, speak five "words" to let alert caretakers to their needs. The trick is to listen for these particular syllables in your child's cries and respond to their needs before the cries become screams and the syllables are indistinguishable.
Eliminating Excessive Stimulation
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Occasionally babies cry even when all their basic needs are met, simply because they are overstimulated. Children are in the womb for nearly 10 months, enclosed in a dark environment. Suddenly being around lights, electronics and people can be a lot to process. Infants need quiet time to regroup and try to understand their new life, and they can become cranky when they don't get it. If your child is crying and and you can't figure out why, try quieting his environment. Turn off music and television and dim the lights; hold your baby and rub his back to help him calm down.
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Attentive Holding
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According to Instinctive-Parenting.com, some babies simply cry to heal. They may be responding to the memory of a traumatic birth or a stressful environment, or simply dealing with the stress of living outside of the womb. When babies cry to heal, the site recommends you simply hold your child quietly and let her cry. Show her it's okay to express her emotions and she can do so in a safe, loving environment. Do not bounce your baby, try to distract her with a toy, feed her or give her a pacifier during this time; just make eye contact and let her cry it out in your arms. By allowing her to release her stress, these crying episodes seemingly "for no reason" will begin to decrease in frequency.
Controlling Your Emotions
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Remember that babies are extremely sensitive to their environment. If you are feeling stressed, anxious, sad or impatient, your baby can feel it, too, especially if you feel these emotions while you're holding him. Try to conjure a feeling of love and patience before touching your baby. If you feel overwhelmed due to his crying, you might have to step out of the room or ask for help for a few moments while you regain your composure.
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References
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