Loading... How long can you leave a baby crying?

If you are asking about a newborn or a very young baby my immediate answer would be never just let them cry.

Babies aren't like adults, they don't complain just to hear their own voice. If an infant is crying there is a reason. Sometimes the reason might be "I want held" but in the grand scheme of things being held is just as important to an infant as a clean bottom or a full belly.

If you just can't take it anymore it is a safety issue for the baby, a few minutes to take a time-out is okay. In that case, make sure the baby is in a safe place and be sure to give the baby lots of comfort and reassurance when you get back.

Remember though that to a baby, his caregiver is his whole world. To develop normally, the baby needs to know all of his needs will be met, even the need for human contact.

While it's not always possible to get to your baby the minute he starts crying; in general, don't leave him to cry at all. When a baby cries it's because he's distressed, and "distressed" means "stressed" - plain and simple. He may not be hungry,... keep reading →

Well in the case where the baby is crying just to be crying 10 minutes is my cut off. I hate it when my baby cries. I have read somewhere however a baby will cry at certain times throughout the day as a way of calming down, from all the commotion they see going on around them.

As long as it takes to walk in and pick that baby up. I've never had the heart to just let them cry!

As a mother of 3 I understand this question !

Make sure first that your baby ok, not caught up in anything or in a wet dirty nappy, been fed recently , hasn't got wind ....

If all is ok you want the baby to know you are not going to rush in everytime it cries so you can ( hard I know ! ) leave it for up to about 10 minutes.

If it is a cry of pain .. toothache , wind etc then you need to fix the problem !

hope this helps !

where are you ? I am in Morawa 4 hrs north of Perth WA !

That will depend upon your instincts....you wil know if your baby is clean,fed and not thirsty...some babies cry for attention they are wiser than we think !!

You will know if the cry is a pain cry ....if its a ''Mum im bored'' cry ..give it a mobile above its crib to amuse it..babies get bored as well you know , even very young ones !!

I wouldnt leave a baby to cry longer that 15 minutes

Lots of cuddles will not harm baby..enjoy being a mum X

Some people think it is good for babies to cry to sleep, but I always felt like my time with them is too short to let them cry. What a beautiful feeling it is to watch your precious child fall asleep peacefully in your arms or with you close by!

My niece took hours to finally stop crying sometimes. Even at 2 years old she would cry and cry when we put her to bed. We just had to ignore it and she would cry for like 4 hours until she fell asleep but every day it was one hour less.. until she didn't fuss at all.

This of course is only if all the babies needs are met, like diaper change, fed etc..

As long as you can stand the noise, I should think.