crying. Barr calls it the "period of PURPLE cryingr" , where the letters PURPLE stand for common characteristics of the crying (Barr 2007) . (It doesn't mean your baby turns purple from crying so hard!). The emphasis is on the word "period", as you can be assured that your baby's persistent crying will not last forever. The letters in PURPLE stand for: P for p eak of crying: your baby may cry more each week, the most at two months of age, then less at between three months and five months. U for u nexpected: crying can come and go and you don't know why. R for r esists soothing: your baby may not stop crying, no matter what you try. P for p ain-like face: a crying baby may look as if she is in pain, even when she is not. L for l ong-lasting: crying can last for several hours a day. E for e vening: your baby may cry more in the late afternoon and evening. Living with a baby who regularly cries inconsolably can be very stressful, but there are things you can do to help you to cope with the crying. See our section below: "My baby's still crying. What can I do?" So it may be that she just wants to be held. Try a baby sling to keep her close to you, perhaps swaying and singing to her while you hold her (DH 2009) . You may be worried about spoiling your baby