The sound of your baby crying triggers anxiety because it causes a primal reaction. It sets off the amygdala region of your brain that generates the fear response, which puts your body into fight-or-flight mode. Sensory overload is when the brain is getting more input from your senses than it can cope with.
It's normal to feel stressed when babies cry.
It has to do with the way our brains are wired. We feel a sense of urgency when babies cry. It's almost like a fire alarm goes off in our brains. This is nature's way of making sure we do our jobs: respond to our babies' needs and take care of them!
She noted that infant cries have evolved over time to be maximally annoying, “to capture our attention more than other things in the environment.” That makes sense, because babies need adult attention to get their basic needs met, and ultimately to survive.
Many parents share that they often feel embarrassed when their child cries. It's helpful for parents when they become aware that these feelings are often evoked because they still carry inside unresolved feelings relating to being rejected or shamed for crying when they were young.
Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance. Those who have misophonia might describe it as when a sound “drives you crazy.” Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee.
Misophonia is a phenomenon that causes strong emotions and reactions to certain “trigger” sounds. While it isn't an officially recognized condition, experts still recognize what it is and how it can affect you.
Only 13.6 per cent of people had heard about misophonia and 2.3 per cent identified as having the condition, suggesting that many are not aware there is a term to describe how they react to sounds. The analysis showed that misophonia was equally common in men and women and that it tended to be less severe with age.
Parents are often triggered by their children because they believe their children's bad behavior makes them look like bad parents. If parents could look at their children's behavior as disinterested parties, as they usually do with their friends, their children's behavior would not have any power over their emotions.
The reason why some people feel so strongly about adorable babies or newborn animals - to the point where they experience cute aggression - is likely linked to our natural instinct to care for and protect our young. As humans, our babies need constant care as they are highly dependent for a while after birth.
We're depleted Over time, mothers become physically, emotionally and mentally drained of nutrients, strength and vitality. Psychologist Rick Hanson coined the phrase “depleted mother syndrome” and emphasizes how important it is to regain the strength we need to be there for ourselves and to manage our care-giving role.
Taking a break
If you start to feel you can't handle the situation, set the baby down in a safe location and get help from a family member or friend. This will give you needed relief, and a new face can sometimes calm your baby. No matter how impatient or angry you feel, do not shake or hit the baby.
You might be feeling fearful about leaving your baby to sleep on their own, or doubtful that they will sleep for very long. You may even feel mad at yourself or someone else because you haven't figured out this sleep-with-a-baby-thing yet.
A baby's cry not only commands our attention, it also rattles our executive functions – the very neural and cognitive processes we use for making everyday decisions, according to a new University of Toronto study.
Leaving an infant to 'cry it out' from birth up to 18 months does not adversely affect their behaviour development or attachment, researchers from the University of Warwick have found, they also discovered that those left to cry cried less and for a shorter duration at 18 months of age.
Hold your baby close, smile at them, talk, sing or hum.
Humming is also calming for adults, creating rhythmic vibrations. Try stroking your baby's back or gently sway to create a rhythm that is reassuring. Skin to skin contact like baby massage, can soothe your baby and you may find it relaxing too.
What Is PURPLE Crying? PURPLE crying is a stage that some babies go through when they seem to cry for long periods of time and resist soothing. Your baby may find it hard to settle or calm down no matter what you do for them. The phrase PURPLE crying was coined by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The sound of your baby crying triggers anxiety because it causes a primal reaction. It sets off the amygdala region of your brain that generates the fear response, which puts your body into fight-or-flight mode. Sensory overload is when the brain is getting more input from your senses than it can cope with.
Studies have shown that infants as young as one month-old sense when a parent is depressed or angry and are affected by the parent's mood. Understanding that even infants are affected by adult emotions can help parents do their best in supporting their child's healthy development.
“For instance, a baby may not remember explicitly the time they were yelled at in the kitchen booster seat when they were 6 months old, but their body remembers the way it recoiled, the way it pumped blood to increase oxygen to the muscles in response to feeling unsafe,” Keith explains.
Parental anxiety is the feeling of worry, fear, and stress related to being a parent or caregiver. Triggers for parental anxiety include worries over a child's learning development, health, well-being, and relationships with others. Parental anxiety can cause a parent to avoid situations or have negative thoughts.
The parents even called the age of 8 the "hateful eights," which is a little harsh, but the parents noted that tantrums seem to have really intensified around the age of 8.
The two conditions were not found to be the same thing though, meaning that having misophonia does not mean that you are definitely Autistic.
Misophonia is often an ADHD comorbidity. Individuals with ADHD frequently have a hypersensitivity to environmental stimuli – sights, smells and sounds. When they are unable to filter and inhibit their responses to incoming stimuli, everything becomes a distraction.
Misophonia is more common in women than in men and tends to appear more in people with higher IQs.