The nightmare for every new mom or dad. It should happen to you: a baby that cries, screams or screams day and night. There is no way you can comfort your baby. The doctor cannot find any medical cause for your little one’s constant crying. However, it becomes a tough test for the parents during the first months or years. Your baby will take a lot of your energy and make your nights particularly difficult. Over time, your baby will grow bigger and the crying will gradually decrease. Persistence is the message.
How do you recognize a crying baby?
A healthy baby (not a crying baby) will naturally speak up when something is wrong or when he needs something. This can be due to hunger, thirst, pain or boredom. He will then spontaneously start crying so that mom and dad know that something is wrong. A daily crying hour is absolutely normal and all babies have this. However, one speaks of a crying baby if no real cause can be found for the crying. One consequence is that your baby can get on your nerves enormously. It can even become a physical torment. Over time, this develops into stress for both parents and it becomes difficult to function normally, partly due to the stress of the crying, but also due to the short nights and the heavy test for your body.
Vicious circle
A crying baby causes stress for the parents. The stress is piling up and there is no end to it. The parents’ resistance has run out and they become more and more overloaded and at their wits’ end. Babies feel very good when their parents are stressed. The result is that your baby will start crying again because you as parents will react a little more irritably. As a parent you are trapped in a vicious circle in this way. If this situation presents itself, most parents seek help. The first steps will be to map out your baby’s lifestyle in great detail. You will have to discuss your baby’s eating, sleeping, playing and crying patterns with a doctor or specialist. Based on these things, these people can already form an initial idea of what might go wrong.
A doctor who can help
In most cases, no medical cause is found by the doctor. A doctor can also help by listening to you. You can tell him your story and he can possibly prescribe some medicines to help you feel fitter again. If the crying baby is weighing on your relationship, you can also calmly tell the doctor. He is bound by professional secrecy. Venting your heart out can do wonders and give you the necessary energy to face your crying baby again.
Recharge batteries regularly and maintain them
Your baby’s crying will diminish over time. At the moment, however, this is little consolation. Tensions and stress will continue to be there. Fortunately, you can do something about it yourself. A moment of recharging to de-stress, together with your partner, can do wonders. Visit the sauna or take a break for a few days. In the meantime, the grandparents can take care of their little ones. With a crying baby it is also important to persevere and recognize signals that calm him down. Once you have chosen a certain rhythm, try to maintain that rhythm for a while. As a mom or dad, stay calm. This way you transfer the peace to your baby and he can gradually stop crying.
What you should never do
A crying baby brings a lot of stress. It’s even normal to get angry with your baby for a moment. It is important to ensure that you never become aggressive or hit your baby. Your baby is still very vulnerable at a young age. Shaking your baby vigorously can cause a cerebral hemorrhage, resulting in brain damage. If you really can’t handle it anymore, you can put your baby in his crib for a while and then only return to him when you have calmed down a bit.
