Why Do Babies Cry?
July 29th, 2011When you’re faced with a fussy baby, you can find yourself at a loss about what to do. Sometimes, it’s not clear why a baby is crying. It’s frustrating when you can’t understand your baby’s needs and your baby can’t communicate them to you. But don’t feel like you’re failing as a parent. Babies are pretty simple beings, after all, and they usually are crying for one of just a few reasons. Having a good grasp of issues and problems that can lead to fussiness will help you calmly work out, through process of elimination or just some common sense, what the problem is. Then you can take steps to soothe and calm your baby.
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It’s completely normal for babies to cry from time to time. In fact, newborns will normally cry for between one and three hours every day. Remember that it’s one of only a few ways they can really communicate with you until they’re a little older and learning to speak. Sometimes, the best remedy for crying is just a little time. Whatever you do, don’t let your baby crying become so upsetting and frustrating to you that you can’t react calmly. You might feel like crying yourself, or screaming at or shaking your baby in your worst moments. When this happens, count to ten or breathe deeply. Find a way to calm yourself and remind yourself that this is normal and will pass shortly, and your baby will go back to being that miraculous little creature that you love. You’ll also get better with time at reading your baby’s nonverbal signals and figure out what is upsetting him or her, which will lead to less crying.
The most common reason that babies cry is that they’re hungry. Little babies need to feed very frequently. Their stomachs don’t hold much food and they’re growing very quickly, so they need lots of regular nutrition. They can continue to be fussy even as they breastfeed or nurse from the bottle until their little tummies start to fill up, so if your baby is still crying even after you try to feed him or her, keep offering food for another few minutes just to be sure. They may eventually settle down. On the other hand, if she or he continues to turn away from food and cry, hunger may not be the problem and you’ll want to try another tack.
Another very standard cause of a crying spell is that your baby is tired. Babies need lots of sleep. Sometimes, though, because they’re over-stimulated or for some other reason, they can have trouble calming down enough to fall asleep. Have you ever had the feeling of being exhausted but unable to rest? The same thing can happen to your baby. When this happens, the best thing to do is create a soothing environment and be calm and patient with your baby. Remove any bright lights, noises, or other people or animals. Hold your baby and trying gently rocking him or her or pacing with her. Some babies love to be rocked in a swing or cradle. You can try gently talking in a sing-song voice or singing. One trick for a fussy baby is a ride in their stroller or carseat – sometimes a little bit of vibration, surprisingly enough, is the key to getting your baby to fall asleep. I even know one mother who swears by putting her baby in the carseat on top of a clothes dryer running on low! (Please keep an eye on your baby if you try this tip; the vibrations from the dryer could potentially eventually knock the seat right off the top.)
Physical discomfort may be behind your baby’s crying. This goes beyond just having a dirty diaper, although, that of course should be one of the first possibilities that you investigate! It can be so frustrating when your baby can’t communicate to you that he or she is too hot or too cold, or uncomfortable. Check to make sure your baby is warm enough, but not overheated. Sometimes clothes can be constricting, or there’s something poking or hurting your baby in their seat or wraps. Carefully look over everything you can think of, including around their feet and little fingers and under their bodies. Sometimes the tabs on diapers can pinch or irritate skin. Also keep in mind that babies like to be fairly warm. You can try swaddling your baby. Sometimes being firmly wrapped up can be very calming for an infant and calm him or her down right away.
If your baby won’t stop crying for a long time, or there are other changes to his or her normal behavior, you need to consider illness and other more serious issues. You’ll grow to be familiar with the sound of your baby’s crying pretty quickly. Be alert to the tone, pitch, and overall sound of the way in which he or she cries. If the crying suddenly sounds different, the cause may be something new and potentially serious. If this is the case, check your baby’s temperature and for signs of sickness. You may want to check in with your doctor to be on the safe side.
Finally, it’s very possible that your baby is crying for reasons of which he or she isn’t really even aware. Keep in mind that your baby is still so small, and sometimes may be fussy without quite understanding why him or herself. Babies with colic can cry for months for no real reason. Or maybe there’s something that doesn’t feel quite right, and your baby wants you to make things better. In these cases, there’s nothing to do but try to soothe your baby. Hold your baby and talk gently and reassuringly. Offer food. Check the diaper and overall comfort. If all else fails, try to create a different environment; walk into a different room or put on soothing music or whatever else you can think of to distract your baby. Again, sometimes, there’s just nothing to be done but to wait the crying spell out, and to do your best to comfort your baby in the meantime. Be patient with your baby and yourself; this isn’t a sign that you’re doing anything wrong, but just a part of having a baby. It will pass with time.
