I hope someone out there can help me on this one.  A new 'free' book for
distribution to mothers has appeared on my ward, courtesy of my very own
professional association (midwives).  In this book it states that a normal
newborn spends approximately one and a half hours of each day crying.  I
find this incredible, having apparently had abnormal children myself.  Even
if it is common for babies to spend 90 minutes of their waking hours
expressing strong frustration, rage or despair, I have trouble accepting it
as normal.  What is different about babies?  Would anyone call it normal for
a 10 year old, or a 16 year old, or a 25 or 50 year old to cry for an hour
and a half every day?  (Perhaps it would be more normal for the adults, who
really ought to feel the terrible weight of the world's troubles on their
shoulders, but surely not for newborn BABIES?)



Obviously an assumption that 90 minutes of crying time is the norm, will
affect how parents respond to their childrens' hunger cues.  So what I need
help with is finding support for the argument that crying should as a rule
not be expected nor permitted to continue long enough for it to add up to an
hour and a half, and a child who is inconsolable for such a large part of
the day should be given extra care and support, not stamped 'normal' and
left to cry it out.  Alternatively, if you know of anything to support this
notion of a normal amount of crying, I would be grateful for the reference.



For the record, I have no intention of distributing this book, even if it
costs me my union membership.



Rachel Myr

Kristiansand, Norway

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