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Post partum
Oh, the crying!
It is normal for a newborn to cry for 1 – 4 hours a day and babies are often fussy late in the afternoon and early evening. Crying is how a newborn communicates that they need attention. The most common reasons a baby cries are hunger, discomfort, loneliness, fatigue, fright or colic.
What you can do:
- Be sure your baby is eating every 2- 4 hours.
- Check to see if your baby is too warm or too cold, has a diaper that needs changing, or has an arm or leg tangled in the blankets or crib.
- Hold your baby, you won’t be spoiling your baby by holding him or her too much.
- Walk, pat, rock, or take your baby for a ride in the car or stroller. These are all soothing activities for babies.
- Give yourself some time out if the crying doesn’t settle down.
- Never shake your baby, this can cause serious brain injury.
- Talk to your baby’s health care provider if your baby still cries a lot as this may be colic.
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