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The truth is, all babies cry, and little ones cry for all sorts of reasons. Newborn babies will commonly cry for two to three hours a day. And while it's normal, whenever a baby cries, it can be distressing for everyone involved.
Sometimes, babies just cry for crying's sake, but often, it can be that they're trying to tell you something.
Let's run through some of the reasons babies cry, and what you can do to help soothe them.
We can all relate to feeling a little 'hangry', and babies are no different! Even if you feel like you've only just fed them, their tummy is only small and they have a lot of developing and growing to do, which uses up a lot of energy!
Try to use paced feeding and feed responsively according to their hunger cues. These cues make it easier to know when your baby needs a feed before they start to cry. They include...
A tired baby is often a grumpy and irritated one - just like adults! If your baby is crying and seems to be getting overly upset over small things, the chances are that they're tired and could do with a snooze.
To get them to sleep before they become overtired and teary, you can look out for the following sleep cues...
Does your baby need their nappy changed, are they overstimulated or being irritated by a loud noise, or are they too hot or cold?
There are lots of environmental factors that can make a baby cry. So, always make sure they're comfortable and that their surroundings aren't too overwhelming.
Sometimes little ones can feel a bit lonely or bored, and they just want to be cuddled in close to you! Babies love feeling secure and one-on-one time with their parents is key. So, if they seem fussy and are crying, distracting them with some playtime or reading them a story could help turn their sobs into smiles.
Consider whether your baby need to be winded, are teething, or are they just feeling under the weather?
Remember that you know your little one best, so if you do think they're in pain or unwell, trust your instinct and don't hesitate to seek advice from your health visitor or doctor. Keeping a diary of how much and when your baby cries can be helpful if you ask a doctor for advice.
Babies are very intuitive. If their parents are feeling a little run down and stressed, those emotions can easily be passed on to their baby.
Talking to other parents about how they cope during times when their baby cries can let you know that others are going through the same thing - and you're not alone.
Remember that if you become overwhelmed or feel like you can't cope when your baby cries, it's perfectly ok to pass them to someone you trust or put them down somewhere where they're safe and have 10 minutes out to allow yourself to calm down.
No matter how frustrated or upset you feel, you should never shake your baby. If you feel like you need some additional support to cope when your baby cries, you can ask your health visitor about local support resources.
Cry-sis is a UK-based charity that offers help and support for parents with babies who cry excessively.
If you're looking for ways to soothe your crying baby, the following points may help turn sobs into smiles:
Small babies have short attention spans. So, if you can distract them while they're crying, there's a good chance that they'll soon forget why they were crying in the first place! You could try popping on some music, taking them into another room or the garden for a change of scenery, or using a rattle or toy to grab their attention.
You don't have to have an amazing voice to sing to your baby. Remember that they love your voice and find it soothing. Sometimes a quiet, whispered lullaby will do the trick. Other times, the sillier the song the better!
If you're breastfeeding your baby, you may find that letting them suckle will help them relax, even if they don't feed. If you're not breastfeeding, try giving them a soother to suck on.
If you're wanting your baby to settle down to sleep, white (or pink) noise can help to calm them and stop them from crying.
Most babies find motion soothing, so going out for a walk or a short drive can help settle them. Try not to stress if they wake up when you stop - at least they've had some sleep and you've had a little break too!
Using a sling to carry your baby close as you sway gently and rock them from side to side or practising some skin-to-skin contact can help babies to feel safe and secure.
Some babies find bath time relaxing and calming, whereas others will cry even more during a bath. Try it out and see if it works for your little one!
Some older babies and toddlers love having a cuddly toy to snuggle with when they're a little upset. They can also be great to soothe cries when you're out and about or in an unfamiliar environment.
Babies have different sleep patterns to adults, and they can alternate between non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep, which is the active phase of sleep where dreams, movement and sometimes tears happen.
If your little one is crying in their sleep, try leaving them for a moment or two and see if they settle themselves before you go to soothe them.
A cry that's very high-pitched, sharp, short, and loud usually indicates that a baby is in pain and can be associated with severe or chronic illness. If your baby's cry is high-pitched, seek advice from your doctor.
If your baby's cry sounds raspy or barky, they could have croup. As well as an unusual sounding cry, they will typically also have cold-like symptoms, including a cough, runny nose, and high temperature.
All parents go through hard times with crying, but it can be reassuring to know that by the time little ones hit the six-month mark, they gradually begin to cry less.
As they get older, they'll be able to communicate how they're feeling more easily. And while there will undoubtedly be tears at some point during every stage of their development, the difficult phase of constant crying during their early months won't last forever.
