Crying

It varies from baby to baby....just as it would for adults! My first almost never cried. Really, it seemed that she only cried when she got vacinations. But my second, she cried a lot, was a very fussy and whiney baby. To this day (she is now 3), she still has a fussy personality! Everyone is just different.
K.

I have a 19 month old and a 3 year old. My sister-in-law has a 17 month old and my other sister-in-law has a 9 week old. None of our children have had the same cry patterns. Each baby is different and you just need to figure out what triggers things for them. My youngest was extremely sensitive to crowds and loud noises. My oldest loved tons of people and is overly social but has a sensitive stomach, so his main crying spells were gas related. The 9 week old only seems to cry when hungry or dirty so far, and the 17 month old seems slightly socially anxious. I would be wary of anyone telling you that something is or isn't normal. If your baby cries constantly and you are unable to figure out how to soothe, just look for familiar things that happen before the crying starts (my son would get terrible gas when i ate carrots and then breast fed). if you can't find a pattern, call your pediatrician and they can make sure that there's nothing else going on. i know it's kind-of vague advice, but i hope it helps!

Hi J.,
We are praying for your husband to be safe during his active duty. That is a noble profession, indeed! But a bit hard on your emotions, I would imagine.

We have one little girl and she is 3 and 1/2 now, but when she was little we really got a lot from Dr. Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block video. He taught us how to do very specific techniques that turn on a "calming reflex" and when we did them exactly right, they worked *very* well.

Otherwise, I found that when I was feeling sad or upset, my baby would be sad and upset too. It's a little bit of the "chicken and the egg" thing - I'm not sure what starts first, but I hope you have plenty of support while you're husband is gone during the week. That will help you recharge your mommy battery and be able to tolerate the crying a little more.

If you feel in your gut like something is wrong then I hope you will be persistant with your baby's health care providers until you feel satisfied that they have really covered all the bases. But to reassure you, even really happy healthy babies cry - sometimes a lot!

Anyway, I hope that helps!
God bless you and your family.
take care,
A.

You don't really say how often she is crying. If she only cries when she's laying down, she may have gas or reflux, you should ask your dr. about it. If she cries constantly, she may have colic, you should ask your dr. If she is on formula, it may be as simple as changing the brand.
Whenever you have a worry, you shouldn't hesitate to ask your dr. or nurse.
M.

A normal amount for a baby to cry can range from a few minutes to an hour. If longer than an hour, something could be wrong. My youngest daughter Zoe who is 9 months cried for 1 1/2 at one time because of colic.

J.
northmetrodcmommies.com

Just wanted to second the opinion that "The Happiest Baby on the Block" is a great book to read! We just went to Dr. Karp's seminar, and I actually recommend getting the DVD, because you can see him doing the things he suggests. I swear it really helps you calm your baby down!! And adds to the amount of sleep she gets as well!

Good luck!!

All children cry. Some more than others. I wouldn't worry unless she's not eating. That's a sign. My daughter was a big crier. We realized she wasn't getting enough sleep. We started putting her to bed earlier and when she woke up at night we spent less time doing things. We didn't turn the light on, we had bottles pre-made. We fed, changed diapers in almost complete dark (just night lite) and put back to bed. It stopped most of the crying during the day. We spent alot of time at home. Let her take naps in her crib. I found sleeping was her prob. she still at 6yrs old requires alot of sleep. Her bed time than was 5:30 and she slept all night excepting feedings. Now she goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps all night.
Good luck

All I can say is that my first daughter cried non-stop for 3 months, then would only stop when I held her (up to about 6 months) I had to sleep in the guest room with her during this time so I could constantly keep the pacifier in her mouth. Trust me, we tried EVERYTHING. I guess it was just the way she was. I thought it would never end. But it did, around 8 months, and now she is a wonderful 7 year old! If your baby is crying a ton just try to keep in mind that it will end eventually. It was hard for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel because it was my first baby and I had no clue what to expect. My second (it's amazing I even had another one) was a dream :) Good luck!

Well, i just had my fourth little girl and she is now the same age as yours. some babies seemingly cry "all the time", and others just when they really need something. hang in there if she cries a lot. i can deal with crying so much better now than i did with my first... i couldn't stand her crying for more than 10 min at a time. she habitually cried every time before she fell asleep (my first), and i made the mistake of picking her up or rocking her all the time when she actually needed practice calming herself down before she slept... needless to say she is the one that gives us the most "sleep problems" now @ 5 years old. we learned with the next three, and they are WAAAY happier sleepers- they ALL (even the three month old) sleep a good 11 hours a night.

of course crying isn't all about sleepy time... you WILL know the difference in her cry if something is actually hurting her (i.e. gas, she's scared, hunger, too hot/cold, etc...), or she's just being a but fussy. either way, babies go through a GAZILLION stages...

so hang in there, and just let her know that you are there for her even if she is being annoying. seriously. babies know if you are stressed out, and they NEED to know that you will be there no matter what, so just let her know that all is okay, and if she cries, she cries.

Babies LOOOVE baby slings (properly used), so if all else fails and you are going nuts, try it:)

My baby is five months also my first and she cried non stop the first 3 months. I thought I was going to go insane! Found out she's super picky she didn't like the swing that goes back and forth so we got one that goes side to side and that saved my sanity. Puts them right to sleep. She sleeps through the night 8hours just fine but during the day she still gets fussy a lot. She wants me to entertain her non stop. She can only play by herself for a minute or two and then the crying starts. You do what you can. Good Luck
The 5 S method is good. Swadle, shish in their ear or white noise, suck ( pacifier), swing, forgot the last one. None of these worked on ours except the swing. She just wanted to be held all the time.... Good Luck!

I was always happy when my babies reached 3 months of age. By that time I had them on a scedule for feeding s and naps and bedtiem. Life got easier. Also at that time babies were more alert to their surroundings and could be entertained by things to look at. At 4 months they could hold onto objects and examine them by mouth which also kept them entertained. Some babies cry more than others. My son was a very peaceful child while my daughter was a fusser. She cried when she was tired, hungry, or wanted to be held. She also cried when she was frightened by noises or a strange environment. I am of the opinion that if you keep a baby warm and close to you they don't cry much.

When my daughter was that age she would cry for about 3 hours each night starting somewhere around 6 or 7PM. It seemed to be worse on days that had been more stimulating for her. BUT, they are all different. Go with your gut if you think something is not normal. I just spoke with someone today who actually had to video tape the crying and show it to her doctor, because he kept telling her the baby was fine. Her little girl had reflux. The only thing that worked for ours was to walk around and bounce her the football hold.
Wishing you Good Luck and Patience!

i dont know what to say about the crying but i want to THANK YOU for being married to active military. without those men and women our country would be in very bad shape,.

If she is crying more often she is suffering from some tummy trouble, all I know being a mom of two kids. Try babies magic tea and also drink yourself if you are breastfeeding her to pass its effects through your milk.

Mine cried if she wasn't being held. I would complain to my mom-in-law and she would say "Well, she's new!"

If it seems like she's in pain, go check it out, but it may be she's just needy as far as holding. It took my girl about six months to get over needing bodily contact all the time.

If she's crying all the time even when you're holding her, I'd say see a doctor so they can reassure you.

-S

I've read that 3 hours a day is normal, but that feels like forever when you're experiencing it. Our daughter is about the same age as your baby and today cried for about an hour straight before we got her calmed down. It's early, but babies can teeth at this age, too.