How to soothe your crying baby

It is common to feel frustration, anxiety, and even anger when faced with a crying baby—especially if your baby wails for hours on end and won't calm down. Equally frustrating is a baby who seems indifferent, upset, or who won't cuddle or make eye contact with you.

In stressful situations like this—when your baby won't stop crying or won't respond to you and when you are feeling frustrated, tired and angry—you need to develop some strategies for taking care of yourself. When you're calm and centered, you'll be better able to figure out what's going on with your child and soothe his or her cries.

• Recognize your limits. Pay attention to internal warning signs when you are feeling overwhelmed. The sooner you spot your personal limits, the easier it is to plan ahead—for extra help, a break, an excursion outside or a quick pep talk from a friend or loved one. The small things you do to prepare will help you get in the best frame of mind to care for your baby.
• Remember that time is on your side. For most babies, crying peaks at six weeks and then gradually eases off. There is an end to the crying on the horizon! You may have to put in a little extra work right now and be very patient, but things will get better.
• Reach out for support. If you can, enlist help during the fussiest times of the day. Say yes when people offer to help with housework, meals or babysitting. Find a group of moms to talk to and get out of the house when you can. Knowing you have some help on the way can make a big difference.
• You don't have to be perfect. Parenting is not about perfection. It would be impossible to be fully present and attentive to an infant, especially a crying infant, 24 hours a day. Experts estimate that meeting your infant's needs at least one third of the time is enough to support healthy bonding and secure attachment. Don't worry about getting it exactly right all of the time. Instead, try to relax and enjoy the times when your baby isn't crying.

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a baby is shaken. The blood vessels in a baby's head cannot tolerate the impact of shaking and can break.

• Each year about 1,000 children die from Shaken Baby Syndrome.
• Death, brain damage, mental retardation, seizures, or blindness may result from shaking a baby.
• Shaking usually happens when parents or caregivers become frustrated or angry when they are not able to stop the baby from crying.
• Shaken baby syndrome is 100% preventable.