10 reasons your baby might be crying
When you know why your baby is crying it is much easier to comfort and soothe them so their tears will stop. There are many reasons why the baby might be crying, from hunger to boredom and everything in between, but here are ten common reasons for infant tears.
Babies cry because they do not have ability or the words to express what they need and want, which means that the sound of a baby crying can mean any number of things. While adults generally only cry to express extreme emotions, infants cry to express almost everything, making it much hard to figure out why your baby is crying.
Until you can figure out why your little one is in tears, you cannot begin to do anything that will help them stop crying, so it is essential that you answer that question quickly.
Here is a list of ten common reasons that babies cry that can provide a place to start when you simply cannot figure out what to do for your little one.
1.Feed me. Small stomachs and rapid growth mean that babies have to eat often, perhaps even more often than you thought. Try a bottle to stop the tears.
2.Hold me. Babies also love to be cuddled and may be looking for the comfort of a warm body. It is almost as though he or she is lonely and needs to feel connected.
3.I need help falling asleep. Even though they need a lot of rest, it can be hard for babies to fall asleep if they are over stimulated or the environment is not conducive to rest. Try turning the lights down or moving to somewhere quieter to see if your little one just needs a nap.
4.I hurt. If a tag is poking into their sensitive skin or a piece of hair has gotten wrapped around a finger, it can be irritating and painful for your infant since they cannot do anything to fix it themselves. Tears are a way of drawing your attention to their pains.
5.My teeth are coming in. Teething is incredibly painful. To see if this is what is bothering your infant, run your finger along his or her gums to feel for teeth pushing against the gum.
6.One word: colic. If your baby cries for more than three hours a day on more than three days of the week for more than three weeks in a row, he or she might have colic. The good news is that they will eventually grow out of this phase, but in the meantime you may want to speak to your doctor to learn more about colicky babies.
7.Change the temperature. Maybe it is too hot or maybe it is not warm enough, but since your infant is not able to regulate their own temperature perfectly yet and is not used to much variation in room temperature, he or she feels hot and cold more acutely than you do.
8.Burp me. While not every baby needs to be burped regularly, when gas builds up in an infant it can be extremely uncomfortable.
9.Change my diaper. This is another issue that varies from one child to another – some cannot rest for even a minute after they have soiled their diaper while others are seemingly unaffected by the discomfort. Check your baby’s diaper to see if this is the issue.
10.Take me to the doctor. If nothing else works, your little one might be getting sick, so it is probably time to take him or her to their doctor.
Top 10 Reasons Babies Cry
When you know why your baby is crying it is much easier to comfort and soothe them so their tears will stop. There are many reasons why the baby might be crying, from hunger to boredom and everything in between, but here are ten common reasons for infant tears.
Babies cry because they do not have ability or the words to express what they need and want, which means that the sound of a baby crying can mean any number of things. While adults generally only cry to express extreme emotions, infants cry to express almost everything, making it much hard to figure out why your baby is crying.
Until you can figure out why your little one is in tears, you cannot begin to do anything that will help them stop crying, so it is essential that you answer that question quickly.
Here is a list of ten common reasons that babies cry that can provide a place to start when you simply cannot figure out what to do for your little one.
1.Feed me. Small stomachs and rapid growth mean that babies have to eat often, perhaps even more often than you thought. Try a bottle to stop the tears.
2.Hold me. Babies also love to be cuddled and may be looking for the comfort of a warm body. It is almost as though he or she is lonely and needs to feel connected.
3.I need help falling asleep. Even though they need a lot of rest, it can be hard for babies to fall asleep if they are over stimulated or the environment is not conducive to rest. Try turning the lights down or moving to somewhere quieter to see if your little one just needs a nap.
4.I hurt. If a tag is poking into their sensitive skin or a piece of hair has gotten wrapped around a finger, it can be irritating and painful for your infant since they cannot do anything to fix it themselves. Tears are a way of drawing your attention to their pains.
5.My teeth are coming in. Teething is incredibly painful. To see if this is what is bothering your infant, run your finger along his or her gums to feel for teeth pushing against the gum.
6.One word: colic. If your baby cries for more than three hours a day on more than three days of the week for more than three weeks in a row, he or she might have colic. The good news is that they will eventually grow out of this phase, but in the meantime you may want to speak to your doctor to learn more about colicky babies.
7.Change the temperature. Maybe it is too hot or maybe it is not warm enough, but since your infant is not able to regulate their own temperature perfectly yet and is not used to much variation in room temperature, he or she feels hot and cold more acutely than you do.
8.Burp me. While not every baby needs to be burped regularly, when gas builds up in an infant it can be extremely uncomfortable.
9.Change my diaper. This is another issue that varies from one child to another – some cannot rest for even a minute after they have soiled their diaper while others are seemingly unaffected by the discomfort. Check your baby’s diaper to see if this is the issue.
10.Take me to the doctor. If nothing else works, your little one might be getting sick, so it is probably time to take him or her to their doctor.
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Listening to your baby cry can bring mixed emotions for a parent. On one hand, your heart goes out to the little one, and you want to do anything you can to make him or her feel better. On the other hand, it can be more than a little discouraging as you try to figure out the reason behind the tears.
Without the ability to ask your baby what is wrong and how you can help, you are not alone if you sometimes feel a little lost. An no amount of reading up on infant soothing tips will help if you are missing the reason.
Here is a quick and easy list of the ten things that may cause your baby to cry in hopes that it will help you provide comfort for the baby in your life.
I’m hungry. A new baby is growing and developing quickly, so he or she needs lots of nutrients and is probably hungry more often than you might think.
I’m tired. Babies also need tons of sleep to fuel their rapid growth and development, but sometimes they do not want to go to sleep. They feel tired but need help falling asleep.
I want to be held. A new baby loves to be cuddled. If your little one is feeling lonely or even bored, they might cry to get your attention and to get back into your arms.
Something hurts. Maybe the outfit you choose has a tag that is poking the baby or a hair has gotten wrapped around a tiny finger or toe, but something is irritating the little one and they need your help to fix it.
I have colic. If your baby cries excessively – more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three week, your baby might have colic. In this case, it can be difficult to comfort him or her until they grow out of this phase. Learn more about the possible causes of colic
I am teething. Run your finger along the baby’s gums to see if you can feel any teeth pushing against the gums – this will tell you if your infant is crying from the pain of new teeth coming in.
I am too hot (or too cold). Sometimes it can be hard to find the perfect temperature for a baby, or the baby may get cold during a bath or changing. This can cause a few tears!
My diaper is dirty. Not every baby cries when they need to have their diaper changed, but many do.
I need to burp. Burping is not a necessity, but if you notice that your baby gets fussy after every feeding, it could be an indication that he or she needs to burp so that they can relieve the pressure.
I’m sick. If all of the babies other needs are met and the crying hasn’t stopped, he might be coming down with something. Check to see if he or she has a fever and call the doctor.
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Mom tested advice for handling crying infants
A crying baby can try the patience of even the most experienced parent, but for new mothers, it can be positively baffling. You want to do anything you can to help your baby feel happy, comfortable, and calm, but you just can’t find the right answer.
While there are always new infant products and theories coming out about the best way or the right way to sooth your crying infant, the fact is that women have been calming their crying children for as long as there have been babies! For this reason, it is a good idea to turn to time-tested advice from other mothers when looking for inspiration.
Here are five tips to get you started:
Go through the usual reasons for crying. This may seem logical, but it can be easy to overlook a wet diaper if you just changed him or her, or your baby’s feeding schedule may be changing as he or she gets older. So before you get too far into other remedies, look to the usual suspects:
Dirty or wet diaper
Hungry
Too hot or too cold
Uncomfortable – is there a tag sticking out of the baby’s clothing that could be irritating him or her? Maybe a zipper?
Lay your infant on his or her tummy. This can be comfortable and soothing, and while it is not the recommended way for an infant to sleep, it can be a good position for calming. Some maternity pillows can be used to keep your baby upright and comfortable while on his or her tummy.
White noise. Depending on your infant, the soothing noise could be something as loud as a hair dryer, or it could be something as quiet as an ocean-sounds CD. Be careful not to play loud white noise too often, though, because it can stunt certain development.
Swaddling. This was a popular technique for a long time and has seen a recent resurgence among modern mothers. Swaddling mimics the position and constriction of the child experienced in the womb and keeps him or her from waking themselves up with arm or leg movements. Look for a swaddling blanket that has a large enough size, square or rectangular shape, and lightweight fabric to keep your little one comfortable without getting too hot.
Rhythmic motion. Parents around the world have paced the room, doing their own baby-dance, with crying babies for centuries. Something about consistent, gentle rhythmic motion is pleasing to a crying baby. Our award winning Bounce A Bye Baby ball can help make this easier on your body.
There is no magic way to make a crying baby calm, but as you and your little one get more comfortable together, you will find your own tricks to soothe him or her.