To Much Crying? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

LYNN9731 · 07-22-2005, 02:14 PM

How long should I let my baby cry at night? He's only 2 weeks old and sometimes after late night feedings he won't go back to sleep in his basinette.
I've read that you should never let a newborn cry himself to sleep and I've also read that you shouldn't go running to them every time they cry. Last night the worst. I let him cry for almost a half an hour thinking he would eventually cry himself out. After awhile I had to go get him and brought him back to my bed. My b/f thinks I'm going to teach him that everytime he cries I'll take him to our bed. I don't want to do that but I also couldn't let him go on crying.
Any Advise?

worried_mommy · 07-22-2005, 02:24 PM

Baby's don't get "spoiled" by being held when they are upset. I think by getting your newborn you are teaching them the Mommy is there when they need her. You are helping the feel secure. I would never let a 2 week old cry. I didn't let my DD CIO until she was over a year old and it was a behavioral thing. I didn't need to let her CIO often (maybe 4 times ever) and never do now. She is a very happy independant lil toddler now

Try swaddling your baby if you don't, and unswaddling him if you do. Perhaps he had some gas still after his feed. Maybe he just needed a cuddle from Mommy to send himself off to sleep. What about a rocking chair? Or a swing? Newborns are funny creatures, you do what you have to to get by. HTH

2fst · 07-22-2005, 02:46 PM

My DS is 6 weeks and a crier. Newborns NEVER cry it out. It just doesn't happen they get tired but then they just take a break until they can start up again. When I was in the hospital after having him the nurses at night, would let the babies in the nursery cry. It kept me awake because they never stopped. We took our DS to bed with us and some times we still do. You can't spoil a baby, at least that is what the books all say. But if our DS won't go to sleep we take turns dancing with him. He loves it and we are just tired but it works. You can't expect a newborn to get up at night only to eat. Some times they are just not tired. We would lay DS in bed between us and go to sleep and he would lay there and look at us. Be careful though with the bed thing, if you are not a light sleeper and move around alot you don't want to roll on top of the baby in your sleep.

ltw · 07-22-2005, 02:58 PM

Hello!

When my baby was just born, she was always gassy and she didn't burb well after feeding, therefore she was crying a lot from gas pain. May be your baby has gas problem too and needs to be burped more. If you use formula, the gas problem can be even worse because baby's digestion system is not mature enough to digest anything but breastmilk.

But whatever you do, don't let your little precious one cry without being comforted. Sometimes it's very frustrating when a baby doesn't stop crying no matter what you do. If I got frustrated, I would try to imagine myself what its like to be my daughter. It must be more frustrating for her to be taken away from the womb, the only place she knows where she didn't feel pain or cold or fear. That way I can try to understand her crying and symphatize her.

Hang in there...

LTW

dizzygirl · 07-22-2005, 07:08 PM

You should never let a newborn cry. They need to build trust for you, and know that you are there for them. Who knows half the time why they are crying, but holding him, and swinging and singing could never hurt. Sometimes they just want to feel loved and comforted.