The Period of Purple Crying is a new way to understand why normal, healthy babies may cry a lot in their first five months. Moms in agony of delivery are impatient to hear their new baby's first cry. However, at about 2 weeks many babies may begin to cry more each week.
Many of my babies and grandbabies were relentless squallers. I checked temperature, diapers, and offered bottles. I walked, sang, burped, and jiggled, gave stroller rides, car rides and wound up the swing. I rubbed belly and back to no avail. Was I a "bad" mom? Why couldn't I soothe my baby? Babies can be healthy and normal and still cry up to five hours a day.
Doctors said, "Colic." Sounds like an illness, but it is not. I've learned that this crying is normal. Based on 25 years of research scientists have learned that patterns of crying are a developmental stage. Babies cry but now we know they are OK, and so are we, and the crying will lessen and soon stop.
The the Period of Purple Crying can be frustrating. Period means that the crying has a beginning and an end.
P. Crying may Peak in the first couple of months and then decrease.
U. He crys at Unexpected times
R. May Resist all efforts to comfort him.
P. He may look like he is in Pain but isn't.
L. Sometimes crying last a Long time.
E. Seems to cry more in the afternoon and Evening.
Some times caregivers get so frustrated or angry because of the crying, they shake the baby. Feeling frustrated is normal. When all efforts to soothe baby fail, put baby in a safe place and walk away to calm yourself.
Shaking a baby can cause seizures, blindness, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and even death.
I am in contact with a young mother of an 8 month old, hospitalized because the father shook him. Father is in jail, but mother has lost her parental rights because she is accused of neglect even though she wasn't present when the child was hurt. Now she faces charges, the lost of her child and the devistation of parenting a handicapped infant when/if she regains custody.
I am sharing my experiences through my book, Adopting Darrell, who is blind and profoundly retarded due to being shaken.
Don't Shake. see www.purplecrying.info and www.dontshake.org.
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Most informative advice, many young mum would benefit from reading this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Yvonne,
New parents and parents to be need to understand that babies are babies and sometimes they cry. Patience and love is the best way to deal with the crying.
ReplyDeleteLee
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