This is important! Your baby is communicating with you.

Babies communicate with cues signalling their needs but it can take a while for you to learn their language. While you're learning, your baby may resort to their last means of getting your attention - crying. As get to know your baby, you'll be able to anticipate and respond to their needs before they start to cry. And even when they are crying, you'll have a good idea what the problem might be, or will recognise their different cries.

Babies don't cry to manipulate you, they are telling you they need you! Not attending to the child if they're upset affects secure attachment and the ability to regulate feelings as an adult. Carrying out controlled crying or cry it out can be stressful for parents too as it generally goes against all their instincts to repeatedly not pick their baby up if they appear to be upset or in need.

However it can be super frustrating understanding their cries, their wants and their needs. But leaving them to cry seldom helps the situation. There is no one way to approach crying/soothing/ settling techniques! Everyone will have something that works for them.