Reasons your baby could be crying

I recently wrote a post about common pregnancy complaints and this post leads on from that one. You see when you first have a baby they really should come with an instruction manual because deciphering their cries can be difficult. Those first few months, when all babies do is cry, sleep, eat and poop can be draining but trying to work out what those cries mean and how to make your baby happy is exhausting.

So what could your baby want when it is crying?

I’m Hungry

Babies cry when they are hungry, in fact, it’s one of the most common reasons. This is even more likely when they are a newborn as the younger they are the hungrier they are. Babies only have small stomachs so it won’t be long before they need feeding again.

I’m dirty

Some babies will cry when they have a wet or soiled nappy. This isn’t all babies though and some babies don’t seem to mind unless they get nappy rash and their skin feels irritated.

I’m tired

Although babies need a lot of sleep they may actually find it hard to fall sleep which leads to them being overtired. The younger they are the harder it is to spot the signs that they need sleep.

I’m too hot or too cold

Checking if your baby is too hot or cold is easy when you know how to do it. Touching their stomach or back of their neck is a quick way to do this. Use a room thermometer to keep their bedroom temperature between 16 and 20 degrees. Also, look at using a sleeping bag rather than a blanket at night.

I want to be held

Babies sometimes crave physical contact so it could be that they are crying for attention. You could try babywearing with a sling which really helped me with my clingy baby.

I don’t feel well

If your baby’s unwell,  they will probably cry in a different tone. Cries when babies are unwell may be weaker, more urgent, continuous, or high-pitched.

I’m in pain

If your baby cries a lot but you have investigated other options then they may be in pain. One common cause of pain in babies is colic. My eldest had colic but thankfully it wasn’t too bad so we were able to treat it with infacol with her feeds. It made a big difference. Signs your baby may have colic is that they become flushed and frustrated, and refuse all efforts to soothe her. They may clench their fists, draw up their knees, or arch their back. Infant colic is tricky to diagnose and there is still no agreement as to what exactly causes it. One theory is that colic is caused by trapped wind. You can use an over the counter product to help to relieve symptoms. Infacol is Britain’s number one colic remedy and has been used by generations of parents to soothe trapped wind, colic and griping pain. It can be used from birth onwards, it’s sugar, alcohol and colourant-free and has an orange flavour.

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