How To Understand Babies Cry?

We always asked ourselves, why do babies cry? Caring for a baby can be a struggle cause all babies does is crying. We don’t fully understand what and why the reason for their crying. Since they can’t talk and all they do to express how and what they want is only by crying.

New parents may struggle at first to understand what their little one wants for the first few weeks. But you eventually understand what your baby wants and feels as soon as you get used to it. Everything takes time and trust me it will be worth it in the end.

Should Babies Cry?

During birth, a baby’s cry is always a sign of relief as it indicates that the baby is normal and healthy. Parents will always wait impatiently to hear their baby’s first cry. Nevertheless, subsequent bouts of crying are often a stressful and worrying experience for many parents.

However, a baby’s cries should generally be viewed as a good thing. It indicates that the baby has a good pair of lungs. At the same time, it tells us that the baby is trying to communicate. How else are babies going to tell you that they are hungry or bored?

 

Why Do Babies Cry?

Babies cry for a lot of reasons. These are some of them:

• Hunger
• Tired
• Sleepy
• Bored
• Uncomfortable
• Frustrated
• Overstimulated
• Trapped gas in the tummy
• Colic
• Stranger anxiety

 

When Do Babies Cry?

A newborn baby doesn’t cry much until about the age of around two weeks old. From then, the crying will peak between four to six weeks and will gradually reduce and stabilise by the time the baby is three to four months old. Babies usually become more wakeful from about two weeks old and as they become more wakeful and alert, they need stimulation and can be easily ‘bored’. Just as a baby in need of attention will cry so will an overstimulated baby. The balance between stimulation and overstimulation is very delicate and both parents and baby need to work together to recognise the signals.

An overstimulated or overly tired baby will cry in frustration. This crying or wailing as most parents noticed can be very unnerving. The baby may appear to cry for hours and finally, when exhausted, will fall asleep. Most parents cannot understand why a tired baby cannot just fall asleep. The fact is most young babies need assistance to soothe them till they fall asleep. A young overstimulated baby is simply unable to self soothe so he needs assistance to unwind to be able to fall and stay asleep.

By the age of three to four months, the baby’s digestive system will stabilise and he is able to better soothe and calm themself by finding his fingers and by being more aware of his environment. As he grows, he will communicate better by using facial expressions such as smiles and laughter and later on with gestures and finally words.

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How To Cope With A Crying Baby?

When a newborn baby cries, we as the parents automatically tend to think that the baby is hungry or needing their pacifier. When a baby does not stop crying, the frustration, anger and panic may set in. It is necessary to reflect on one’s response to a crying baby when planning on how to manage and cope with the situation.

Stay Calm

Staying calm at all times is the mantra when handling crying babies. Whether they are hungry, tired, sleepy, frustrated or uncomfortable, you cannot think clearly and act appropriately unless you are calm. Once having identified the cause you will be able to attend to your baby more confidently.

Responding and handling your baby with confidence gives him a sense of security. They will be more relaxed and happier too.

Attend The Baby

When your little one cries, do attend them as soon as possible. If you cannot physically attend to your baby, do keep talking to them in a calm soothing voice. They will soon learn that there is nothing to be panic about and eventually he will realise that there is no need to scream if they need mummy or daddy.

Feed The Baby

Feeding your baby before they are frantic with hunger and on-demand will reduce crying. A hungry baby is not a happy baby.

Assist The Baby

If your little one is tired or overstimulated and is unable to settle to sleep, do assist him to unwind and fall asleep. Do not worry about bad habits. It is more important than the baby gets good sleep than learning when they are young. Having a consistent sleep technique, regular bedtime and understanding your baby’s sleep signals will reduce unnecessary crying and the creation of the long term bad habits.

Soothing The Baby

Understanding what helps to soothe and calm your baby will reduce the duration and frequency of their cries. Techniques such as swaddling, swaying, carrying upright with tummy against the shoulder, ‘white’ noise and allowing your baby to suck if needed have been found to be helpful.

Establish A Routine

Babies and young kiddo are predictability. Having a regular routine will assist both parents and baby to know how the day is planned out and what to expect. A workable routine is one that is suitable for both baby and parents.