Is Your Child FUSSY?

A fussy baby, especially when mom and dad are tired or fussy themselves, can seem like the hardest hurdle in parenthood. There were several times when, especially in the middle of the night, I couldn’t seem to figure out what my daughter was trying to tell me. What was I missing? 

When your baby begins to cry, your adventure begins to try to figure out what they need. It can be hard to know what your baby wants.
A friend advised me to try FUSSY. This is an acronym for a systematic way to check in with your baby to figure out what their needs are and how to help them calm down.



F- Food. Is your little one hungry?
U- Uncomfortable. Do they need to be repositioned? Are they too hot or too cold? Do they need to be burped?
S- Stinky. Changing their dirty diaper can help them calm down.
S- Sleepy. Did they sleep well last night? Are they on their normal sleeping routine? Is it getting late?
Y- You're out of luck. Sometimes they just need to know you are listening. Comfort them and be just there for them. They will eventually calm down.

Sometimes having a systematic way to check on your baby's various needs can help you calmly respond to their cries instead of trying things sporadically and feeling stressed. Remember: if you are feeling frustrated or angry it is always better to put the child in a safe place and walk away for a couple minutes than to shake the baby.

However, once you've tried this system there are still a few different things you can try. Here are some great resources to help you know how to respond to your crying child:

Dr. Karp's 5 S's 
12 Reasons Babies Cry and How to Soothe Them
Soothing a Crying Baby
The Period of Purple Crying