Babies cry to communicate – it’s one of their only ways to get your attention!
There are many reasons your baby may be crying, including:
- they’re hungry/thirsty
- they’re uncomfortable/wet/dirty
- they’re too hot or too cold
- they’re scared or startled and need some comfort
- they’re overtired or overstimulated
- they’re unwell or in pain
Sometimes you’ll try everything and not work out why they’re crying – this is not unusual. Sometimes babies just cry and we haven’t got a good translator for them yet!
It is usually best to try and comfort a young baby when they cry, rather than leave them to cry it out. Comforting babies tends to make the crying stop sooner, and you can’t spoil a baby by holding them and caring for them.
Many babies have a period of PURPLE crying, where they are just inconsolable for no discernible reason. The letters PURPLE stand for:
- Peak pattern (crying increases from 2 weeks to 2 months, and then gradually decreases)
- Unpredictable (comes and goes for no discernible reason)
- Resistant to soothing (baby will stay upset no matter what you do)
- Pain-like look on baby’s face (they appear to be in pain, even when they’re not)
- Long bouts of crying (these episodes can last for hours at a time)
- Evening crying (baby cries more in the afternoon and evening)
PURPLE crying can be really hard on parents, but it will improve. By month 3-5, the crying reduces, and things get easier.
PURPLE crying is a normal developmental stage for most babies, and the PURPLE crying period looks different for every baby. Some babies are really upset and scream for 6+ hours every day, while others are just a bit unsettled for half an hour to an hour on some days.
Some people called PURPLE crying ‘colic’ or ‘reflux’ – this can be unhelpful as it may suggest that something is wrong with your baby, when they are going through a normal (if difficult to deal with) developmental stage.
It’s important that no matter how your baby cries, you must never, ever shake them. Shaking a baby can cause lifelong disability or even death.