This normally fairly average baby who has been doing a pretty decent job sleeping at night had suddenly turned into a banshee. What is worse is that no matter what I did (and believe me, I've got tricks) he cried. And screamed. And squalled. Nothing was going to console this child.
So what was wrong with him? Well, time will certainly tell on that one, but I have a couple of theories. First, he may be working on his first tooth. Second, he was stuck in a crying-gas-crying-gas cycle. Third, nothing. Absolutely nothing was wrong with him.
The Period of Purple Crying is the fun name for the period of hell in a parent's life where their baby screams in such a way that you would think a toe was being cut off but in reality nothing is wrong at all. So how do you know if your baby is purple crying? First let's go through the list of other things that make babies cry:
Is he/she...
Hungry?
Gassy?
Hot?
Cold?
Need diaper changed?
Uncomfortable clothes?
Being poked by something?
Scratched?
Overstimulated?
Tired?
Wants to he held?
Running a fever?
Thinking about an unpleasant future as a public accountant when really he wants to be a producer?
If you answered no to all of these and your child is between 2 weeks and 4 months, you may have a purple crier. If so, strap in, take a deep breath and most importantly DON'T SHAKE THE BABY! I'm quite serious about that, I believe not being prepared for purple crying leads to shaken babies. If it gets to a point where you feel you can't handle anymore, hand the baby off to another trusted adult and if one is unavailable put the baby in a safe place and walk away.
Seriously, Walk Away. As long as you know the baby is safe (you can certainly hear him), walk away an give yourself a few minutes to breathe.
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