The Crying Facts

Crying is a baby's way of communicating his or her needs.  Babies do not cry to make their parents angry or frustrated.  They are not telling you that you're a bad parent or trying to ruin your day or night.  Babies just cry, sometimes a lot, and if you know that, it can make it much easier to get through the difficult times.

You should know that infant crying usually begins to increase at 2 weeks of age, peaks around 2 months and gradually starts to decrease after that.  Crying, even a lot of crying, is normal. Bouts of a half-hour or more, totaling 2 to 3 hours a day can occur with some babies.

Crying can happen for no clear reason and can be unpredictable.  Some babies seem to cry more during certain times of the day, such as late afternoon or early evening.

A baby's incessant crying can be very challenging and can result in high levels of stress.  Learning about infant soothing techniques that can help calm babies, and about ways adults can take care of themselves when infant soothing doesn't always work are important steps in coping with infant crying and preventing SBS.