Many parents have fallen into the situation where a well-behaved baby suddenly fusses and cries all day, sleeps restlessly, breastfeeds little and is very difficult to soothe. Many people think the baby is sick or lacks milk, but in fact this may be the stage when the baby enters a week of crisis, also known as the stage of breakthrough development.
A week of crisis occurs when the child's brain develops rapidly, the baby begins to learn new skills and becomes more aware of the world around them. This makes the baby easily stressed, sensitive and often cries a lot, clings to the mother or changes eating and sleeping habits.
What is your baby's crisis week?
A week of crisis is a period when the baby has a strong change in cognition, emotions, or movement. The baby may develop new skills but become more sensitive, irritable, and fussy than normal.
This is a common phenomenon in the development process and often occurs at many different ages in the first year of life.
Signs that the baby is entering a week of crisis
- The baby is fussy and cries more than usual - The baby cries persistently even after eating full, changing clean diapers and there are no obvious symptoms of the disease.
- Baby sleeps erratically, has difficulty falling asleep - Baby sleeps less, is often startled and easily wakes up in the middle of the night.
- Babies cling to their mother abnormally - Babies want to be held continuously, are uncomfortable when their mother is out of sight and easily cry loudly when others hold them.
- Baby breastfeeds little or is temporarily anorexic - Baby may breastfeed sparingly, breastfeed less, or skip meals, causing parents to worry.
- Babies are more irritable and sensitive - Babies react strongly to noise, light or strange environments, easily startled and uncomfortable.
Common crisis week milestones
Many babies often experience a week of crisis at the following stages:
- About 5 weeks old
- About 8 weeks old
- About 12 weeks old
- About 19 weeks old
- About 26 weeks old
- About 37 weeks old
- About 46 weeks old
- Stage 12 to 18 months old
However, each baby has a different growth rate, so the time may be earlier or later.
What should mothers do when their babies enter a week of crisis?
1.Stay calm and don't blame yourself. This is a normal developmental stage, not because the mother takes care of it wrongly or the baby is spoiled.
2.Hug and increase interaction with the baby The baby needs a sense of security, so mothers can hold the baby more, chat gently or comfort them.
3.Maintain stable living habits Trying to keep eating and sleeping hours relatively regular will help your baby adapt more easily.
4.Monitor abnormal signs If the baby has a high fever, completely refuses to breastfeed, vomits a lot or has strange symptoms, parents should take the baby to the doctor to rule out the disease.
A week of crisis can make parents tired, but this is also a sign that the baby is developing. As this period passes, many babies will learn new skills and become more stable. Understanding correctly and preparing in advance will help parents take care of their children much lighter.
