Why does my baby cry?
There are several reasons why your baby cries. The first and most obvious is that this is his only form of communication with you. It does not mean you are spoiling your baby if you attend to his needs when he cries.
He is not crying to test your patience, he is crying because he has a problem and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. Research has shown that babies who are tended to straightaway when they start to cry, possess more confidence when they are older, than babies who were left to cry.
Some common reasons for your baby’s tears are as follows:
• Hunger. By far the most common reason. Because of the size of their stomachs, babies often become hungry more quickly than you would expect. Offer him a feed and see if that stops the angst.
• Tiredness. This is another common reason for tears. Babies are taking in so much information and learning so many new things all the time that they need lots of sleep to recharge their minds and bodies. Put him down for a sleep in a cot or buggy, or even in a sling if it suits you to.
• Dirty Nappy. Would you like to sit in your own mess with a hot towel wrapped you to keep it close? Hmmm. Thought not. Some babies do not mind this sensation whilst others object wildly. Change his nappy and look out for any nappy rash; this pain could be exacerbated by urine or faecal matter.
• Temperature. It is important not to let your baby overheat or get too cold as they find it difficult to regulate their own temperature. Take steps to cool her down or heat her up as necessary.
• Illness. Babies will become very upset if they are sick. The cry that accompanies this complaint is usually louder, higher and more demanding than their usual one. (Read gurgle's article on identifying different sorts of cry). Usually, you will know when your baby is ill as she will sound different (or quieter than normal) and will often have often symptoms: diarrhoea, vomiting or a temperature. Seek medical advice.
• Loneliness. Babies are social creatures and love to be a part of what the rest of the household is doing. Often a baby cries because she has been left alone or is not being held close to you. Try to remedy this by doing household chores with her in a sling and include her in family activities. Make sure she can see what is going on.
• Teething. For older babies, teething is a very painful process. Often, you will know when a tooth is coming through the gum as he will dribble excessively, get a high temperature and cry and grizzle a lot. His cheek will often go bright red. Doctors usually recommend giving the baby lots of cooled, boiled water to drink, keeping an eye on his temperature and often administering an infant paracetamol-containing medicine.
• Separation Anxiety. For older babies, when they reach around eight months, they may start to fret and cry if you leave their field of vision as they feel a little insecure now they have realised you are a separate entity from them. This will pass but try to reassure your baby that you will return imminently.
Why not chat to other mums about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups.
If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles. Also, have a look at our Kit section where we list our top-rated baby equipment.
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.
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