Why is my 5-month-old crying all the time..?!
Let’s take a look at a few different reasons and what to do about it.
Mom’s Question:
My 5-month-old is suddenly crying all the time. She cries on and off all day long. She will cry for about 15 minutes or whine, and then she will be ok for 15 minutes…
I have checked her ears, throat, and nose, and everything is fine. She never runs fevers, even after she gets all her shots, never.
She eats very well and is overall a very healthy baby. She weighs almost 16lbs. I have no idea what to do. It is very stressful and very concerning that she has started doing this. Please give me any advice that you can.
Thank you so much!
A Few Ideas When Baby is Suddenly Crying All the Time
I understand that your girl’s behavior is stressful! A few possibilities come to my mind.
Pain of some kind or Sick
Could she be teething? Check her mouth for teething symptoms.
Or did you recently start introducing solid foods – a possibility, in that case, could be tummy pain?
No diaper rash?
Is her pee normal; no bad smell or color?
All these different options would mean that she is in pain, which could explain why she starts crying suddenly.
Bored or Scared
At her age, she could actually also be bored and under-stimulated. Is she crying really hard, or is it more like complaining and whining? Do you interpret her sounds as her being in pain? Does she also do it if she is engaged in some activity she likes?
At her age, some babies can be downright bored if left alone to play for longer periods, or they can actually be scared! Therefore, this is a good time to start attending baby music classes or some other fun baby-friendly activity and also not leave Baby alone in another room if that seems to trigger the crying.
Hungry
Hunger could actually also be a possibility. 6 months is a growth spurt, but that’s not an exact date, so she could be growing and hungry.
It is really hard to know what the problem is, but hopefully, I’ve given you a few more ideas to work with. If you want, add more information in a comment below, and I’ll try to help you some more.
Unless your daughter is in real pain, sick, or very uncomfortable, distraction and having fun with mom or dad is usually the best medicine when a young baby is cranky. Try to play with her and make her laugh and then also put her in a baby carrier or sling and let her stay close to you during the day to see if it helps. You can find ideas on games to play with a 5-month-old here.
Paula
Other Fussy Babies
- Fussy 8-Month-Old Wants To Be Held
- 11-Month Baby Cries Most Of The Day
- 3 Months Old Crying All Day Long
Find comments below.
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Did your 5 month old stop crying? Mine just started doing this
She cries a lot more like screams, she has had all her check-ups and yes she does have one thing of baby food a day along with cereal, milk, and water bottle. then she will go to sleep and repeat it all over again. she does not like the teething rings I have tried all different kinds…… I’m just hoping not to have to let her cry all day. any help would be appreciated
When a baby cries a lot, it is extremely stressful for the parents. By nature, we just want to STOP right now. With newborn babies, it can be tough to figure out why they cry. First of all, we don’t really know each other yet, and, in addition, the crying is basically the baby’s only way to communicate, so the screams can mean so many different things.
But as a baby grows a little bit older, the crying will sound slightly different depending on what the baby wants. Fear will not sound the same as hunger, for example. I have compiled a list of different crying sounds for babies here, to help you interpret your baby’s wishes.
Also, remember that unless your baby is hungry or in pain, the so-called five Ss can help many babies calm down.
I hope this helps,
Paula