Why do Babies Cry?

Crying as a Means of Communication
Mind you, crying is your child’s only way of communicating to you, whether he is hungry, lonely, tired, wet, uncomfortable, too hot, too cold, or not feeling well. Though difficult, you will learn to differentiate between your baby’s different cries, and understand what he wants. Gradually, your baby will be able to communicate better. He will cry less often, and for shorter periods, and it will be more easy to comfort him.

Crying from Hunger
Most of the time, when a baby cries, it indicates that he is hungry. Some parents find it easier when they can recognize the cry of hunger. It has been observed that the feeling of a full stomach gives a baby the most comfort.

Crying Because of Fatigue
Babies often cry themselves to sleep because of fatigue. Attempting to soothe the baby by picking him up or trying to pacify him with a dummy is not advisable. This will make it more difficult for him to fall into a sleep routine. A regular bedtime routine, and adequate rest during the day should help.

Crying Due to Indigestion
Babies also cry due to colic. This does not mean the baby is colicky. When babies cry with a genuine colic pain, it means they have suffered from indigestion. Many a time, indigestion occurs when you put your baby on formula milk, or when you change the brand of it. If your child is exclusively on breast milk, then indigestion could be as a result of something heavy (difficult to digest) that the mother has eaten. If your baby has solid food, then, analyze his food intake throughout the day. This might help you identify some food/foods that could be the cause of this indigestion.

Many Indian mothers give gripe water to their babies. Although the medical benefits of gripe are not clear, it helps the mother feel better that she has tried to soothe the baby and it may also help in distracting the baby a little, since gripe water has a nice sweet taste.

Crying Because He Needs to be Burped
Babies often swallow air during feeding. Parents can take a few precautionary measures to prevent this from happening. Babies will swallow less air if you keep them upright as much as possible during feeding and burping. The right–size teat hole on a bottle will also reduce air intake. Burp the baby regularly during feeds in order to expel swallowed air. Applying light pressure to the baby’s abdomen while patting or rubbing his back has also been known to be effective.

Crying for Apparently no Reason at All
Sometimes, you may notice that your child just wouldn’t stop crying. Some studies indicate that four out of five babies have daily crying sessions lasting from 15 minutes to an hour for no apparent reason. This is mostly seen whenever the baby feels neglected or feels a lot of noise and activity around himself. Babies often cannot tolerate the heightened hustle and bustle. After the sensory overload, the baby would like to relax by having a good cry.

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