WHY BABIES

CRY WHAT EVERY PARENT

NEEDS TO KNOW by

Graham Kennedy RCST

http://www.enhancingthefuture.co.uk

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES This book is supplied for information purposes only and, as experienced in this subject matter as the contributors are, the material herein does not constitute professional advice. The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update their opinions based on the new conditions. This book is for informational purposes only and the author does not accept any responsibility for any liability resulting from the use of this information. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided here, the author cannot assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. The reader is advised to consult with an appropriately qualified professional before making any decision based on the information in this book. The author does not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from the decisions made by purchasers of this book. Any perceived slights of specific people, products, services or organizations are completely unintentional. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright holder. If you have any questions relating to the above please email me at graham@enhancingthefuture.co.uk

For more detail on why babies cry and what we

can best do to help them, you can download the FULL 40 page ebook from Amazon at the

following link:

Amazon.co.uk

Contents

Introduction...................................................................................................................5

How Have Attitudes to Crying Babies Changed Over Time?.. Error! Bookmark not defined. The 5 Myths of Why Babies Cry .............................Error! Bookmark not defined. Controlled Crying.......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Is this Really the Happiest Baby on the Block?....Error! Bookmark not defined. The 5 Principle Causes of Crying Babies..............Error! Bookmark not defined.

Cause #1 – Unmet Basic Needs.........................Error! Bookmark not defined. Cause #2 – Dietary Sensitivity ............................Error! Bookmark not defined. Cause #3 – Unresolved Birth Trauma................Error! Bookmark not defined. Cause #4 – Unresolved Prenatal Stress ...........Error! Bookmark not defined. Cause #5 – Pain/Illness........................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

Resources ..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. About The Author ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

Introduction

The sound of a crying baby is one of the most disturbing,

distressing and let’s admit it confusing noises that we are ever

likely to experience.

There is definitely something about a crying baby that sets us on edge. Their high-pitched screams seem especially designed to jangle

every inch of our nervous system, their tightly clenched fists and

scrunched up faces look as if they are in the midst of some terrible

ordeal.

In the face of this constant onslaught is it any wonder that so many

parents end up stressed, sleep deprived, overwhelmed, confused

and demoralised. These feelings of helplessness can even

undermine their sense of confidence and competence as good

parents and can have significant repercussions for years to come.

In extreme cases, overwhelmed and unsupported parents have

been known to shake, injure or abandon their babies out of sheer

frustration and desperation.

In this brief summary of my 40 page e-book, we will take a quick

look at the 5 reasons why babies cry and how each of these

reasons requires a different set of skills in order to be effective.

The 5 Principle Causes of Crying Babies

These 5 causes are based on my experiences as a father and also

as a therapist specialising in the treatment of babies and children

for the past 20 years.

One thing is for sure. Even if crying seems irritating and

overwhelming it is always a conversation. A baby is always trying

to tell us something about themselves and their relationship with

the world through their crying.

Cause #1 – Unmet Basic Needs

Every baby has basic needs that are essential for it to thrive and

survive. These include the need for food, comfort, nurturing,

security and warmth. In ideal circumstances, if a baby has all of

his needs met then he should be totally content

Where these needs are not met, the baby starts to feel distressed

and responds to this distress by crying. The crying will actually be

very specific to the nature of the unmet needs.

This type of crying is known as Needs Crying, as it is directly

related to an unmet need. If needs crying is the problem, then

accurately meeting a baby’s needs will stop their crying.

This level of crying is actually the simplest to understand and to

respond to appropriately. In fact, most books, websites and

articles written by a variety of different “baby experts” only seem to

relate to this level of crying.

If a baby continues to cry even after his basic needs have been

met, then in all likelihood he has one or more of the following

issues complicating what is going on for him.

Cause #2 – Dietary Sensitivity

For some babies, the cause of their inconsolable crying can lie in

the fact that they may have one or more dietary sensitivities,

intolerances or even allergies.

There are many substances that babies can be sensitive to, but

one of the most common is cow’s milk. Many babies have real

problems digesting the principal sugar (lactose) or protein (casein)

found in this milk.

If a baby with a milk intolerance is fed on formula feeds containing

cow’s milk, they may go on to develop a number of different

physical symptoms, many of which will cause discomfort and lead

to crying.

Typical symptoms include crying during and between feeds, a

swollen abdomen, abdominal pain, wind, loose stools, poor weight

gain, skin rashes, eczema and susceptibility to colds and

infections.

In many cases, babies grow out of these sensitivities within several

months or years. However, for some it may require some form of

exclusion diet as they grow and develop throughout childhood.

Cause #3 – Unresolved Birth Trauma

Birth is not only an intense physical and emotional experience for

mothers, but for babies as well. Many babies are born stressed,

overwhelmed or even traumatised as a result of this process.

Unfortunately, as a society we consider babies to be too small and

undeveloped to be adversely affected by their earliest experiences.

However nothing could be farther from the truth.

Babies are intensely affected by their experiences and unless

resolved this early stress and trauma can go on to affect them as

they grow and develop – physically, emotionally, developmentally

and in many other ways as well.

In many cases, babies who cry inconsolably are telling us that they

have suffered some sort of physical or emotional stress during

their birth and that it is still continuing to affect them.

Crying can even be an important form of emotional release in the

same way as it is for adults. This is not, however, a justification for

leaving babies to cry it out. Where babies use their crying as a

stress-release mechanism, they need to be allowed to do this in

relationship with a sensitive, caring and empathic adult.

Cause #4 – Unresolved Prenatal Stress

Stress during pregnancy is another significant cause of

“unexplained” crying in babies.

Some of these stresses may be due to external factors, such as

moving house, demanding jobs, difficult home life, financial

worries, bereavement etc.

Others are directly related to pregnancy itself. These can include

anxiety about the pregnancy if there has been a history of

miscarriages, stress-inducing screening tests as well as the

general stress of being pregnant and the realisation that not only is

your body changing but so is your role as a woman.

Stress impacts babies because the baby is receiving information

from his mother about she show is feeling in relationship to the

world around her via his umbilical cord. These stress hormones

cross the placenta and enter the baby through the umbilical cord.

As with birth trauma, crying can be a way in which babies can

express their discomfort of any unresolved prenatal stress, and

they can also use it as a way to release its effects.

Cause #5 – Pain/Illness The fifth cause of crying in babies is as a result of illness and/or

pain of some sort. Understanding whether a baby is crying

because he is in pain or ill is an important differentiation that

parents need to make.

All babies cry when they are in pain. Whilst we may only think of

pain as being physical in nature, it is important to realise that

emotional pain is also a significant cause of babies crying.

Physical pain can arise from a number of different causes. These

include, but are not limited to the following:

• Associated with some form of illness or infection e.g. ear

infections, tonsillitis etc.

• The after-effects of accidents or injuries

• Pain associated with dietary sensitivities e.g. abdominal pain.

If you feel that your baby is either ill or in some sort of pain it is

important that you consult your doctor

About The Author

Graham Kennedy RCST

Graham is a senior practitioner and teacher of Craniosacral Therapy, as well as a supervisor with the Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA). He has taught Craniosacral therapy both nationally and internationally for the past 20 years. He was one of the co-founders and the joint principal of the Institute of Craniosacral Studies.

An avid writer, Graham has written a number of articles and

ebooks on many of these subjects. He is currently working on a

book detailing the baby’s experience of birth.

For More Advice About This Subject Matter Visit

http://www.enhancingthefuture.co.uk

For more detail on why babies cry and what we can best do to help them, you can download the

FULL 40 page ebook from Amazon at the following link:

Amazon.co.uk