❓️Did you have a baby that cried a lot? Seeing a crying baby is HARD. It can trigger an emotional memory in us & thats harder. Babies cry to communicate all sorts; hunger, tiredness, dirty nappy & more Crying is also normal & the ‘Normal Crying Curve’ shows that babies start to cry more about 2w of age. Crying peaks around 6-8weeks & after 3 months, settles. At 5 months of age crying becomes more purposeful i.e. babies only cry for a reason Sometimes we search for a reason for this crying. Reassuringly, research has found that most of the time nothing is wrong with baby that is making them cry more. But crying is tough; inconsolable bouts are TOUGH and this period is tough . 📍The FIVE S approach to crying are evidence based tips PROVEN to help! ✅️Sling: Carry your baby close & often! Studies show it can reduce crying upto 50% or by up to one hour if you carry baby for 3h a day ✅️Suck: is a normal infant reflex & important soothing mechanism. Offer either breast or pacifier. You can’t ‘spoil’ a baby by offering the breast for comfort, this is natural responsive feeding. Pacifiers should be avoided in breastfed babies until breastfeeding is established, around 4-6 weeks. ✅️Ssshh: or singing emulates the environment in the womb – white noise provides a similar function ✅️Swaddle: Safe swaddling mimics the womb & leaves the hips free to move. When swaddled, babies must be put on their back & swaddling stopped when babies can roll. ✅️Sway: copies movements the baby experiences in the womb as mama bear walked around! !!️Bonus Tips Self Care: asking for & accepting help is an important part of being a parent! Massage: regular baby massage is associated with less crying Skin to Skin can help regulate baby Look for problems: hair tourniquets, nappy rash, tight nappies . It can be helpful to keep a symptom diary or note the times your baby is upset to see if there is a pattern. Crying is really stressful & if you find it overwhelming remind yourself of ICON . I – infant crying is normal C – comforting methods can help O – OK to walk away N – never shake a baby . Great website for crying are: ICON, Cry-sis & Purple Crying . Any Qs? Dr Kiran