When your baby is crying and you don’t know why, it can be very frustrating.
You may have tried all of the techniques that you know to soothe them, but nothing is working. It’s important to remember that there are many reasons why babies cry, and some of these reasons may be very normal for them.
In this article, we will discuss six of the most common reasons why babies cry.
1. Hunger:
One of the most common reasons for babies to cry is hunger. Baby’s stomachs are very small, and they need food every few hours. The best way to avoid this from happening is by feeding your baby on a schedule so that you can watch their hunger cues and know when it is time for them to eat again.
If your baby is crying and you know that it has been at least three hours since their last feeding, offer them a bottle. If they still seem hungry after eating the whole bottle, try burping them to see if they simply had air in their stomach. Babies can get very gassy which causes painful pressure inside of their tummy. Burps can help to relieve this pressure.
2. Tiredness:
Yawning, rubbing their eyes or ears, becoming fussy, and crying are all common signs of tiredness in babies. It is important to watch for these cues so that you can put your baby down for a nap before they become overtired. If your little one becomes too tired it can be very difficult to get them to calm down enough to sleep, so much so that they become overtired and their scheduled sleep times are thrown off.
If your baby is fussy and crying, try putting them down for a nap. The best way to get babies to fall asleep is by placing them in the crib when they are still awake but drowsy. This allows you to avoid having a battle about going to sleep.
3. Pain or discomfort:
No parent wants to see their baby in pain or discomfort. Babies are unable to tell us when they are hurting with words, so we have to look for other cues that might help us determine what is wrong. Babies cry when they hurt or feel uncomfortable because it is the only way for them to communicate this feeling.
4. Overstimulation:
Imagine you are at a party filled with loud music and people. This can be very overwhelming for some adults, so imagine how it feels to babies who are new to this world of stimulation. A baby’s eyesight is not fully developed yet, so they see things differently than we do. Everything seems brighter, louder and busier around them than it does for us. So, they can become overwhelmed and cry as a way to shut the stimulation out.
5. Feeling lonely or isolated:
No one likes to feel lonely or isolated, and babies are no different. When they are in the womb, they were constantly surrounded by their mother’s heartbeat and other noises. Once they are born, all of these sounds disappear and it can be very strange for them. This is why some babies cry when they are left alone in a room. They may not be able to understand why the sounds that they are used to have gone away and are scared.
Holding your baby can help them feel secure and less lonely. Another thing that you can do is talk to them in a soft voice, even when you are not holding them. This will help them feel secure.
6. Having a dirty diaper:
Have you ever had a stomachache because you didn’t go to the bathroom when you needed to? Babies feel this same type of pain when they have a dirty diaper. They cannot tell us that they need to go to the bathroom, so we have to watch for other cues. A baby’s diaper will be heavier than usual if it is full of urine or stool and they might also be fussy and cry more than normal.
If you think that your baby might need a new diaper, then go ahead and change it. This will help to relieve their pain and make them more comfortable.