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  • Preparing parents for months of baby's tears

    By Stacey Mulick
    The News Tribune

    Little Rose Bonnicksen wasn't hungry. She wasn’t too hot. She wasn’t too cold. And she didn’t have a dirty diaper. But she was crying. And her mother, 21-year-old Jamie Bonnicksen, didn’t know what else to do for her 1-day-old daughter.

    Then she remembered the lessons of a 10-minute video she’d watched in her Tacoma General Hospital room. Babies cry, the video noted, and sometimes there’s nothing a parent can do to soothe them. It’s OK to be frustrated and it’s OK to leave the baby in a safe place, then walk away for a few minutes.

    “It’s easy to get down on yourself,” said Bonnicksen, a first-time mother. “(The video) was just reassuring to hear.”

    The hospital is showing the video, “The Period of PURPLE Crying,” to new parents like the Bonnicksens before they leave the hospital with their bundles of joy. The campaign, which began April 1, is aimed at educating parents about an infant’s tendency to cry in hopes of preventing caregivers from shaking babies and causing serious injuries, or even death.

    Read the full story in The News Tribune.

    Read more about "The Period of PURPLE Crying" at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital.

    Posted on May 2, 2011 in