When Will the Crying Stop?

From The Parent Place, a signature program of Thrive 

By Stacey Tompkins | Parent Liaison

It was not what I expected. My first baby was healthy and beautiful, but that girl had a loud, throaty cry that came from her core, roared through her body and went straight to my heart. My arms were numb from rocking nine pounds of concentrated misery, and eventually I just cried along with her. We were only a few weeks into our relationship and I surrendered, defeated by her unhappiness. Somehow, my surrender made things easier. I accepted that my baby was colicky and moved forward with figuring out what I could do to help.

The things I tried that worked:
1. Giving up my attachment to having the perfect sweet baby that allowed me to continue with my active lifestyle. I just stopped going to the gym for a while.
2. Sleeping when she slept. I got a stay at home job and attuned to her rhythms.
3. Swinging her in the automatic swing would allow me 20 minutes to shower or make a call.
4. Walking outside in the stroller, preferably in foul weather. She calmed in the cold and rain.
5. Playing a tape of dolphins and whales calling to each other, pretty loudly. It was like Sea World in our apartment.
6. Being carried in the baby backpack--when she was a little older she cooked and cleaned with me. It was a good workout (which I needed, refer to #1).
7. Swaddling seemed to calm her especially at night.

The good news? She grew out of it, and is a delightful, bright, happy teenager now. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s a good one to remember: “This too shall pass.” Just try not to think too much about “when, exactly?”

Adapted from: http://www.purplecrying.info/sections/index.php?sct=1&