My colleague wrote a post called, Helping Others Understand your High Needs Baby, and it brought me back 14 years ago when my fussiest baby ruled my world. The thing is, at the time I thought all babies cried and cried and cried. Even in the hospital as she screamed to the top of her lungs and I stood there perfectly calm the nurse complemented my behavior. I just had my first baby and I expected crying. Having little experience with babies it was all I expected. Until, I slowly began to realize my baby cried more than other babies.
I would see people at the mall, restaurants, with family or hanging out with calm sleeping babies. That was not my story. I could barely make it through the grocery store of dinner at my in-laws without my baby screaming bloody murder. I had to leave a few restaurants because once she started to cry she just didn’t stop. Oddly, she was my best night time sleeper. However, she was the fussiest little baby. I was always being asked if she had colic or given advice on how to make her stop. I politely smiled and pretended to listen knowing I had tried everything to no avail. I grew tired of advice and suggestions by everyone from the cashier at the grocery store to my best friend. I grew fearful of leaving the house with her for more than an hour. At home, she cried but no nearly as much. This meant I stayed home a lot. No one wanted to babysit her because she did nothing but cry for everyone save my mom. So, I’ve been down that road. I would oddly smile hearing other babies cry in stores. I was not the only one. I wanted to reach out to the frantic embarrassed mom and tell her that it is okay. In fact, I was happy to know I another baby cried. It was a hard road and it seemed to last forever. But it didn’t. And it won’t last forever if this is your story.
Be encouraged, that you have the strength to get through the difficult times. My fussy baby is now a teenager who is a wonderful girl. She has a strong personality and conviction. She is a joy. She also stopped crying as time went on and it became a memory by a year. You are raising a very special and independent child. They just tend to fuss a bit.