Diet, sleep and their impact on crying

Keep in mind that crying is your baby's only form of communication with you. Your newborn doesn’t have the skills or resources to deal with anything on his own yet and things that seem minor to us may be worrying and scary for him.

Diet does seem to have an impact on a baby's wellbeing. If you’re breastfeeding, whatever you eat will pass into your breast milk – yes, even that spicy Indian curry or taco – and can potentially cause your baby discomfort. The same thing can happen when you’re weaning him onto solids, so introduce new foods one at a time, to check whether they affect him or not. If a food doesn’t agree with your child, he’ll show his discomfort with tears – other symptoms may include a rash or diarrhea. 

Attending to his needs doesn’t mean you’re spoiling your baby. If he’s over-tired he’ll almost certainly start to cry, as babies find being tired pretty overwhelming. If you think your baby is crying for this reason, place him in his crib for some downtime. Sometimes, babies work themselves up into such a state that they can’t stop crying, especially when the reason they started crying in the first place was due to needing a nap. 

You might not think that being waited on hand and foot 24-7 could possibly be tiring for your young baby, but keep in mind that he’s taking in so much information and learning so many new things all the time that he needs lots of sleep to recharge his mind as well as his body. If you have any concerns about your baby’s sleep, speak to your pediatrician.

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The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.