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Why Is My Baby Crying? Help!
A baby crying can be very stressful for the parents. The younger your infant is, the harder it is to know what to do. But remember, a baby crying is a baby communicating. This is their only way to get your attention and help in the beginning. In that way it would be worse with a baby that doesn't cry! Generally speaking, if your baby is healthy he will cry from hunger, fatigue, dirty diapers or stomach pain. He might also be too cold or too hot or just want to be hugged.
When he gets older, a few months or so, add boredom, anger and fear to the list. Below you'll find tips on how to know why your baby cries and how to help him in each situation.
Baby Crying TipsShort, sharp screams that don't go away until the baby is fed. They rather increase as the baby gets more and more hungry. And the solution is - did you guess- food! You might have to try to calm your baby by hugging him before he can eat if he is very upset. The best thing is to avoid letting him get that hungry.
If the baby's area around the eyes gets red, if he rubs his eyes or if he yawns, he is likely to be tired. Help him go to sleep by breastfeeding him, rocking him, swaddling him or whatever you are used to do. For baby sleep tips, click here.
Just check the diaper In addition to the diaper being dirty, you might want to make sure that your baby hasn’t developed a diaper rash or that the diaper elastic irritates him.
He might pull his legs up towards his stomach. The stomach might feel a bit hard if you press it lightly. Try to help your baby burp by holding him upright or release gas by for example putting him down on his back and lightly press his thighs towards his stomach. Many babies seem to feel better if held tummy down, resting on your forearm. Make sure that he can breathe! You can pat his stomach lightly with your other hand. To prevent and mitigate stomach pain, baby massage is great.
If none of the above seems to be the reason, check so that your baby is not too cold or too hot. A good place to check is on his back. If he is sweaty he is definitely too warm. Starts with whining rather than crying. Usually if the baby has been put down for a long time in his bed on his own for example. Babies need more and more stimulation as variation the older they get. An over stimulated baby tries to look away. He might cry and will get calmer just by placed in a calmer spot. For example, if you are out in a shopping mall or at a dinner with lots of people, the sight and hearing impressions will become too much after a while. Put your baby down in his stroller or take him to a calm room and jus thug him for a while and he'll be much calmer.
Hysterical. Watches his mom or dad intensively almost to ask how dangerous this situation is. A baby that cries out of fear is usually quite easy to soothe by holding him, talking gently and taking him away from what ever scared him. When your baby grows older, you will notice how his will power increases. Even as early as at the age of 7 months , some babies can get furious when not allowed to do or get what they want. Just get used to it! It is still nothing compared to how your baby will react when 2 years old! If your baby is angry, you'll probably know. Many babies scream, wave their arms, kick their legs and cry hard. Teething, tummy pain, a sore throat, tipping over from sittinon the floor etc will of course have your baby crying too. If your baby seems to be in pain and you are the least worried, consult a doctor. Now if you're baby is not in pain and you have tried everything else, but your baby won't stop crying, just take him up for a while, cuddle him and talk to him. Maybe he just longs for your love! If nothing helps, check so that he isn't ill, take his temperature. And if he screams a lot for no apparent reason, it might be colic. Remember though, that there will be many, many times in the beginning, when you won't be able to figure out what makes your baby crying. It takes time to get to know each other.
If you want to learn more about why your baby may be fussy, check out FussyBaby.
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