Preparing for an appointment

When you take your baby to the doctor, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready.

What you can do

To prepare for your appointment, keep a written record of the following information:

• The time and duration of crying episodes
• The age of your infant when the prolonged and recurrent crying pattern began
• Observations about your baby's behavior or other factors before, during or after an episode
• Your baby's feeding and sleeping schedule
• Strategies that you have used to soothe your child
• The people involved in caring for your infant, such as the other parent, grandparents, baby sitter or child care center professionals

Write down any additional questions you have about your baby's health or development. During your appointment, don't hesitate to ask any other questions as they occur to you.

What to expect from your doctor

Your baby's doctor is likely to ask a number of questions, such as:

• Can you describe a typical crying episode?
• What does your baby's cry sound like?
• Does your baby's body tense up?
• When do episodes occur? How long do they last? How many times a week?
• What things do you do to try to soothe your baby? How well do those things work?
• Does your baby have any problems with eating?
• Does the crying happen right after eating?
• What do you feed your baby, and how often?
• How often and how much does your baby spit up?
• How long does your baby sleep at a time? Have there been recent changes in sleep patterns?
• Does your baby ever seem to have trouble breathing during these episodes?
• How do you cope when your baby is crying? What about the rest of your family?

Your answers to these questions can help your doctor determine if there are other conditions that may be contributing to crying and discomfort.