Quite often taking care of a crying baby is very difficult and stressful. Frustration and sometimes guilty feelings may become overwhelming. How can parents keep themselves sane and calm when helping their colicky babies? First, keep your perspective. Second, try these practical tips on how to handle the stress of colic (via University of Illinois Extension):

• Remember not to take the crying personally. Your baby’s crying is not a comment on you as a parent.

• Take deep breaths. Try to relax as much as possible. A crying baby can be very frustrating, so try not to “lose your head.”

• Take turns with the baby (with your spouse or someone else).

• Try taking 15 minutes to calm your baby. If she is still crying, put her down and let her cry. After 15 minutes, try to calm her again.

• Your first concern should be to make sure baby is safe and secure. It is normal for babies to sometimes cry.

• Take a break from your baby. Ask a trusted friend or relative to babysit so you can spend some time away from your infant.

• Talk to other parents, especially people who have had colicky babies themselves. These may be friends, relatives, or people in a parent support group.

• Don’t be afraid to accept or ask for help from friends or relatives who offer. If you can, hire someone to help you around the home.

How To Keep Cool When Your Baby Cries

What To Do When Baby Cries

Related posts:

How to Cope with a Colicky Baby

Ways To Soothe a Crying Baby (Part 1)

Ways To Soothe a Crying Baby (Part 2)

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 8th, 2006 at 10:26 pm and is filed under 0-02 yrs: Baby, Behavior, How-to Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.