Why won't my baby stop crying?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Run the checklist first - hungry, wet, tired, too hot or cold, gassy, wants holding - then the developmental reality: crying peaks around 6 weeks, clusters in the evening, and tapers by 3 to 4 months. More than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for a week in a healthy growing baby is colic, per the NHS - distressing, not dangerous. Soothe with motion, white noise, skin-to-skin, feeds and burps. Red flags: a weak or high-pitched cry, fever under 3 months, green or forceful vomiting, a bulging soft spot, breathing trouble, floppiness, not feeding. And the rule that saves lives: coping frayed - put the baby down safe and walk away for ten minutes.
What to do
- Work the checklist in order. Feed, diaper, temperature, burp, hold.
- Rotate the soothers. Motion, white noise, skin-to-skin, fresh air.
- Learn the red flags. High-pitched cry, fever, green vomit, bulging soft spot: same day.
- Put the baby down before you break. Safe crib, ten minutes - always allowed. In crisis: 988 in the US, or your local crisis line.
Related questions
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