Help! My Baby Cries All the Time

So, you know that crying is perfectly normal for a newborn, but your baby cries all the time! You have tried everything. Your little one is fed, burped, changed. You have rocked your baby for hours, walked for miles, sung every lullaby you know. You are (understandably) exhausted. Your patience is running low. And your baby is still crying!

Having a baby that cries all the time can be a difficult, unexpected, and unglamorous introduction to parenthood. Not only is it incredibly overwhelming and stressful, but it may also trigger some negative feelings that you didn’t anticipate.

• Inadequate (Why is this so hard? What am I doing wrong?)
• Anxious (Why aren’t I connecting with my baby?)
• Worried (Is there something wrong with my baby?)
• Guilt (Why am I having these feelings?)

Rest assured, these feelings are completely normal. These are questions that most parents ask themselves at one time or another. Adjusting to life with your newborn is hard. It is even harder when your baby cries all the time. Just remember, this is not about perfection. It does not need to be a smooth ride for you to bond with your baby. You are totally capable of doing this.

What Do I Do When My Baby Cries All the Time?

Besides employing various techniques to calm your baby, it is also very important to take care of you! Try to give yourself a break when you can and keep calm. When you are feeling stressed, detached or overwhelmed, your baby will pick up on this and it is harder to attune to your baby’s needs. This is not meant to make you feel badly, only to remind you that taking the time to centre yourself is beneficial to you both.

• Put your baby down in a safe place ~ Even if your baby is crying, it is okay to put them down. Take a few minutes to yourself. Breathe.

• Enlist the help of family or friends ~ Take some time away from your baby and do something for you.

• Sleep when your baby sleeps ~ Sleep deprivation can take its toll at the best of times. Try to get some shuteye when the opportunity is there.

• Reach out to a support network ~ You are not the first parent dealing with this situation. If you have friends or family that can be supportive, reach out to them. There are also online support groups and parent hotlines you can call.

• See your healthcare provider ~ Consult your healthcare provider to ensure that there is no underlying issue that is causing your baby to cry all the time. Sometimes it there may be something like a food allergy, especially if you are breastfeeding, that is causing your newborn distress.

More than anything, remind yourself this is just a phase. This too shall pass. Just take it one day at a time.