Crying is an important form of communication by babies, and babies can cry as soon as they are born. The crying generally peaks at about 6 weeks of age, then usually decreases to about an hour a day at about 3 months of age. This can be very distressing to parents. If the underlying cause isn't obvious, such as hunger or a diaper that needs to be changed, then how can parents approach a crying baby? In this episode we welcome Psychotherapist Nicole Wiggins to discuss approaches to soothing a crying baby, getting in touch with different regulatory states, strengthening the parent-baby relationship, when the caretaker needs to take care of themselves, how to get support for parents who are stressed or overwhelmed, and more.
This episode written by Nicole Wiggins, Lena van der List and Dean Blumberg.
We thank Nicole Wiggins MA, LHMC, Psychotherapist and Associate Clinical Director at Cooper House in Seattle, for joining us in this episode.
Supplemental material:

* Fussy Baby Network Seattle, Chicago, Oakland, Denver, Phoenix, New Orleans

* ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center Crisis Nurseries List

* Zero To Three Colic and Crying

* Healthy Children How to Calm a Fussy Baby: Tips for Parents & Caregivers

* Healthy Children Responding To Your Baby’s Cries

* Healthy Children Colic Relief Tips for Parents

Photo from Northwestern Medicine