Crying

They say man is a blank slate – “tabula rasa”. We are what we are because of our response to stimuli. We are not born with personality, moral values or sense of humor. This is the first thing we need to keep in mind when it comes to infants. Babies, unlike adults, rely merely on instincts. They laugh whenever they find something amusing. They cry whenever they are feeling bad. And unlike adults, there is always a valid reason why babies cry.

We can say that the sound of a crying baby is also a stimulus to our parental instinct. We quickly jump to our feet at the signal of our babies’ crying as if their pain is ours. Parental instinct tells us that to stop it is to relieve the babies’ agony.

However urgent our babies’ needs are, we should not panic upon the sight of our wailing angels. Crying is our babies’ way to express negative feelings so we should instead be adult enough to know what to do.

The problem here is that since our babies do not have personalities, there are no different ways of crying for every reason they have. It is the riddle we have to solve every time. Fortunately, our babies leave us with some useful clues. That is why we have to be extra-sensitive to our babies’ needs.
Man’s basic needs are food, shelter and clothing. This equates to hunger and comfort. If a baby is crying, it is common sense to check if the baby has gotten enough food for the day. For us adults, the feeling of a crumbling stomach is intolerable. What more for our babies? Try giving her milk to calm her down. If this does not work then probably the baby is uncomfortable. Try checking if her diaper is too tight or if you already need to change her diaper. You can also check the room. Is it too warm or too cold? Is it too bright? Check on her bed sheet, blanket, and pillows. Some fabrics tend to be irritable to our babies’ sensitive skin, which is why we have to make sure that our babies are using hypoallergenic beddings and apparel.

If feeding the baby would not make her stop crying, we have to find out if the baby is in a much worse condition caused by an illness. Immediately check the infant’s temperature. See if she has cough and colds. This would cause major discomfort for the baby. Give her proper first aid medication and immediately take her to a pediatrician if possible.

It is also possible that the baby is in pain. Check if there are any rashes or red marks caused by insect bites or sores and bruises. Immediately apply first aid if there is any. To alleviate pain and discomfort, try holding the baby and lull her to sleep. Babies need the warmth of their parents’ touch to calm them down. With our warm embrace, our babies somehow feel that they are taken care of.
There are studies showing that touch therapy works wonders physically, mentally and emotionally. So we should always let our presence be felt even if our babies do not ask for it.