Wednesday, April 19, 2006
The Period of PURPLE Crying...
Did you ever know that infants could cry like that? No, purple doesn't refer to the color they turn after an extremely severe bit of crying... The period of PURPLE Crying refers to the pattern of normal, healthy infants that can cause stress and frustration in caregivers.
P Peak Pattern... Crying peaks around two months of age, and decreases after that.
U Unpredictable... Crying can come and go unexpectedly, with no apparent reason.
R Resistant to Soothing... Crying continues despite soothing efforts of caregivers.
P Pain-Like Face... Healthy, crying infants can look like they are in pain, though they may not be.
L Long Bouts... Crying can go on for 30 - 40 minutes and sometimes longer.
E Evening Crying... Crying occurs more in the afternoon and evening.
The Period of PURPLE Crying is based on years of research of normal, healthy infants. The studies show that all babies go through stages of crying. It may be hard to believe, but babies who don't seem to cry very much, and babies who seem to cry for hours on end, can be in the same crying stage.
It is normal for healthy babies to cry more and more each day. It is normal for the crying to come and go. It is also normal for the baby to keep crying even when you are trying to comfort them. It is normal for healthy babies to look like they are pain when crying, even when they are not. It is also normal for the crying to last a long time and to happen more in the evening hours.
Understanding what is normal won't make the baby stop crying, but it can make you feel better about yourself and how you care for the infant. Always check with a doctor if an infant cries more than you think they should.
Sorry... there are no magic remedies for the period of PURPLE crying. Even the most kind and loving caregiver can become frustrated by a crying baby. These feelings don't make you a bad parent or caregiver. Feeling frustrated is normal. If you feel yourself getting upset or angry, put the baby in a safe place and take a minute to take care of yourself.
Did you ever know that infants could cry like that? No, purple doesn't refer to the color they turn after an extremely severe bit of crying... The period of PURPLE Crying refers to the pattern of normal, healthy infants that can cause stress and frustration in caregivers.
P Peak Pattern... Crying peaks around two months of age, and decreases after that.
U Unpredictable... Crying can come and go unexpectedly, with no apparent reason.
R Resistant to Soothing... Crying continues despite soothing efforts of caregivers.
P Pain-Like Face... Healthy, crying infants can look like they are in pain, though they may not be.
L Long Bouts... Crying can go on for 30 - 40 minutes and sometimes longer.
E Evening Crying... Crying occurs more in the afternoon and evening.
The Period of PURPLE Crying is based on years of research of normal, healthy infants. The studies show that all babies go through stages of crying. It may be hard to believe, but babies who don't seem to cry very much, and babies who seem to cry for hours on end, can be in the same crying stage.
It is normal for healthy babies to cry more and more each day. It is normal for the crying to come and go. It is also normal for the baby to keep crying even when you are trying to comfort them. It is normal for healthy babies to look like they are pain when crying, even when they are not. It is also normal for the crying to last a long time and to happen more in the evening hours.
Understanding what is normal won't make the baby stop crying, but it can make you feel better about yourself and how you care for the infant. Always check with a doctor if an infant cries more than you think they should.
Sorry... there are no magic remedies for the period of PURPLE crying. Even the most kind and loving caregiver can become frustrated by a crying baby. These feelings don't make you a bad parent or caregiver. Feeling frustrated is normal. If you feel yourself getting upset or angry, put the baby in a safe place and take a minute to take care of yourself.
- Take a break from the sound of the crying
- Call a good friend
- Listen to some music
- Exercise
- Remember the crying will come to an end
- No matter how mad you get, never shake your baby
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 3:05 PM 
