Baby Crying

Sometimes when you get more comfortable with your baby crying, your baby may well stop crying.

Being a first time parent, it can sometimes be hard to work out what your baby is trying to tell you - is he hungry, cold, thirsty, bored, looking for a cuddle?

In the early days, when you have not yet learned to work out what your baby desires, baby crying can be upsetting, but you will slowly start to know your baby's different crying patterns and, as you get to know him more, you will be able to predict baby’s needs.

Why babies cry :

1. Baby is sick. Buy a baby thermometer and keep it handy.

look for some of these signs and symptoms that might

indicate your baby crying is caused by a 'real' problem:

• Fever, cough, and/or runny nose,
• Crying after feedings,
• Spitting up a lot (vomiting baby),
• Having gas or diarrhoea,
• Baby losing weight,
• Baby blood stool in nappy,
• Loosing interest in food,
• Baby not sleeping

2. Babies cry when they have a nappy rash. Get some special nappy rash cream for him. Read more on nappy rash prevention and treatment.

3. Your baby is hungry. Read more on how to know if your baby is hungry.

4. Your baby is thirsty. Try some cool, boiled water. (only about 40ml at a time)

5. Your baby is getting too hot or too cold. Are his clothes right for the weather?

6. Your baby has a dirty diaper. Check to see if it is time to change him.

7. Baby is tired. Sometimes it’s difficult for baby to wind down for a sleep because of all the attention and over stimuli he might receive during the day. Try giving him a nice warm bath and massage to help baby go to sleep.

8. Baby is just plain irritable. He can also have moods! Sometimes an irritable baby just need the comfort of a dummy or a breast to suck on

9. Infant colic symptoms - Colic remedies may include things like Colic drops, gripe water and special preparations like Infacol. Massage is a good way to relieve colic as well…see baby massage page.

First off try burping baby after every feeding for colic relief. Some colicky babies need a little more burping than others.

Does your baby clench his fists a lot?…this is the first sign of a colic baby. Baby formula can be changed to another brand, or if you breastfeed you can start watching the foods that you eat. You might be casing gassiness in baby. (breastfeeding diet guidelines)

- Baby often draws his knees up to his chest

- Baby's stomach may be swollen and feel hard

10. Your baby crying could be because he is bored. Play with baby and give him plenty of attention.

11. Your baby is teething. Get your baby a teether or some teething gel. A teething baby sometimes just needs a nice big hard piece of biltong (dried meat in South Africa) to chew on

12. Baby wants some affection and just wants to be held. A warm cuddle will calm baby.

13. Your baby feels your mood: Those mothers, who are depressed, anxious, angry, or exhausted, tend to have children who cry extensively. Baby can feel the tension in the air when mommy and daddy fight.

14. Your baby could have ear ache: If your baby is grabbing or pulling at ear a lot, it could be an ear infection.

15. Baby cries for no reason at all: If there seems to be no specific reason for your baby crying, it could just be part of infant development. As Dr. Marc Weissbluth, pediatrician and author, states “birds fly and babies cry”

16. Baby is being pinched: He might have some skin that is irritated by a label or a zipper, or the car-seatbelt or stroller straps.

17. Baby feels insecure: Between the age of six and nine months baby will learn that he is separate from you, he may cry when you leave the room because his scared you will not come back.

18. Baby is stressed out: Too much noise, movement, bright light or any kind of over stimulation can make baby cry

19. Your baby is going through a growth spurt period...read more on this here

20. Acid reflux could also be causing baby to be fussy and spitting up a lot. Read more on breastfeeding a baby with acid reflux

21. An overactive or under active let down reflex can also cause baby to become very frustrated while breastfeeding.

- Baby massage

- Swaddling (wrapping baby in a blanket)

- Using a pacifier (some babies don’t like these)

- Holding and cuddling baby. Some babies like to be held and walked around with, instead of sitting in one position. It is calming to them.

- Write your thoughts down in a journal. Journaling can be very healing and therapeutic.

- The crisis helpline for parents with a crying baby problem: 020 7404

- Rocking baby

- Sing and talk softly

- White noise can also calm a baby. Like the sound of a vacuum or running water.

If you have checked all these things above and baby continues to cry there are a few suggestion on what you can do:

- Take deep breaths to calm yourself.

- Call a friend or family member and ask them to come over. Get them to take over for a while.

- Don’t blame yourself for baby crying, remind yourself that crying will not hurt baby.

- Put baby down somewhere safe. Letting baby cry for a while out of your hearing will help you calm down.

Many moms feel that they want to give up on breastfeeding after a while due to the many different difficulties they might be experiencing during breastfeeding, but can I please encourage you to read our page on the benefits of breastfeeding, not just for your baby, but for your sake too.

Other pages on "breastfeeding problems" related to this page

- Baby massage

- Burping baby

- Breastfeeding diet guidelines

- Inspirational breastfeeding stories