Excessive crying
If you are experiencing what the experts’ term, excessive crying, that is, if your baby cries for long periods of time without respite, you should seek some help.
It is extremely wearying, not to mention upsetting, for you as a parent to have to cope with a baby that cries relentlessly. It is important that you have the support of a partner, relative or healthcare professional, if you are dealing with this situation. In the meantime, these are some possibilities for why your baby is crying at length:
• It could be that your baby is ‘just one of those babies’: some children do seem to cry more than others for apparently inexplicable reasons. This is often put down to the relative trauma of being alive! No joke. The mystifying array of new sights, smells, sounds, and people filling your baby’s eyes, nose and ears possibly contribute to a sensory overload. Think about how overwhelming it can be to visit a new country in which you do not speak the language, and how exhausted you can feel at the end of a day spent exploring, and you might be able to empathise more with what your baby is going through as she adapts to her place in the world around her.
• Some babies are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. It is worth asking yourself if these extended crying periods are brought on during a bath or after being taken out of warm water, for example? Try to establish a link between your baby’s tears and altering situations, like temperature changes or being undressed. There are often good reasons for his chagrin.
• Sometimes, colic is used as a reason to explain away excessive crying periods. Colic is an umbrella term that basically aims to cover any reason for tears that is not immediately clear. Most people believe that a stomach upset of some description causes colic, and perhaps for some babies, they are indeed prone to more wind and stomach troubles than others, so this could be the case.
• In fact, in young babies (under the age of a few months), a condition known as gastro-oesophageal reflux (or GOR), may occur due to the baby’s not yet developed digestive system. Stomach acid and other undigested stomach contents are pushed back up the baby’s throat. This results in vomiting and indigestion-type pain for the baby. Usually, infants grow out of this and often the symptoms are not very severe. In cases that seem to greatly upset your baby, you should seek medical advice.
• If your baby had a very difficult or traumatic birth, this is often cited as a reason for excessive crying. Many parents have reported ‘miraculous’ results from visiting cranial osteopaths in order to solve this issue. The general idea behind cranial osteopathy is that the practitioner will help to release the stresses held within the baby’s head (and subsequently her body) by using non-invasive osteopathic principles. If you are interested in learning more about this type of treatment, you can contact The General Osteopathic Council for further information.
• If you are experiencing additional stresses: postnatal depression, bereavement, moving house, relationship break-up, it is likely that your baby is picking up on your tension. Of course, it then becomes an ever perpetuating circle. You are upset and tense because your baby is crying and she is upset and tense because she can feel you are.
It is important that you seek help in these situations, if only for your peace of mind. Check out our features on mental wellbeing with a new baby and support from your partner. If you are supported by people around you, it will be much easier for you to manage. If you are worried about your feelings or would like further advice on this topic, you could contact ‘Cry-sis’ a UK organisation, which offers support to families with ‘excessively crying, sleepless or demanding babies’. Their telephone helpline is 0845 228 669, and this is staffed from 9am until 10pm, seven days a week.
Why not chat to other mums about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups.
If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Also, have a look at our Kit section where we list our top-rated baby equipment.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
Related Articles
Last Modified: 20/06/2007
Related Chat
You'll need to be logged in to post new Comments and Answers or to Chat.
Login or
Register