Purple crying… what’s that?!
So you bring your newborn home and just start settling into this new phase of life. You’ve got a lot on your plate with nonstop feedings, countless diaper changes and minimal sleep. And then your lovely little baby decides to add one more thing… endless crying! You’re sure that something is wrong with your baby, but you’ve exhausted all of your options and the Doctor is adamant that they are healthy as can be.
Now I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about baby cries that pierce my ears and go straight to my soul… According to research, this is one of the most common periods for shaken baby syndrome to occur, so let’s not lie and say it never happens. Because it does. Instead, let me give you the best information possible so that it doesn’t happen to you.
This won’t happen to all babies, but starting when your little one is 2 weeks old and tapering off between 3-5 months, there is a chance that your baby will go through a phase called PURPLE crying. Let me tell you what it stands for, and then I’ll tell you what you can do about it.
P: peak of crying
U: unexpected
R: resists soothing
P: pain-like face
L: long lasting
E: evening
As you can see, PURPLE crying is a period of intense crying in the evenings that is seemingly un-fixable. No matter what you do, your baby still cries. No amount of nursing, rocking, bouncing, or shh-ing will soothe them! If this happens to your baby, I just want you to hear my voice telling you that this is normal. Not like a good kind of normal, but like a your baby isn’t broken kind of normal. Although frustrating, this is simply part of your child’s development, and it too shall pass. So what can you do?
Take breaks. Like I said… baby cries = soul piercing. Seriously, take breaks! Put the baby in their crib or bassinet and go somewhere half quiet to take some deep breaths, regroup, and come back. Don’t feel guilty for doing this. It is so important to be mindful of your own feelings, and taking those breaks when you feel that you’re not able to be the best support for your little one. And you know what? Being able to admit that means you ARE the best support!
Take turns. If you’re getting overwhelmed pass the baby off to your partner, your friend, or your lovely neighbour who happens to be outside. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Have you noticed that it seems to happen at the same time each night? Excellent. Call your support people and organize help in advance!
Cover the noise. If the continuous crying is just too much for you, throw some headphones in and turn on your favourite tunes. Trust me, you’ll still be well aware that your baby is crying, it just won’t seem so bad when it’s mixed with a little bit of Chris Stapleton or Cardi B (you do you, girl).
Cry. This was my own personal method of choice when my kiddos were babies, and we made it through! I like to think it teaches our babies to be in touch with their emotions from a young age… (whatever helps me sleep at night, right?!)
All jokes aside. This phase can be HARD on parents. The most important thing to remember is that it will not last forever. It might seem like it at the time, but I promise one day your not so little baby will look at you with all the love in their eyes and it will be so worth all the hard days.
