Don’t you just hate it when your baby cries? It’s heartbreaking and you just want to do everything to make sure your baby is okay. The thing is, you have no idea why your little one is crying.
You would have to make a thousand guesses to finally get it right.
Okay, making a thousand guesses is an exaggeration but you understand exactly what we mean. No parent wants to see his or her baby cry. That’s for sure.
Your baby communicates with you by crying. That’s the only good thing about crying. It makes you aware of how your baby is feeling. Although you don’t exactly know the reason why, at least you know there’s something wrong. It’s a good cue for you to take immediate action.
The challenge lies in trying to figure out why your baby is crying. Instead of making a thousand guesses as to why your baby is crying, take a good look at the 12 valid reasons why babies cry.
Here are the 12 valid reasons as to why your baby may be crying.
1. Hunger. This is probably the first thing you think of when your baby cries.
2. A dirty diaper. Some babies let you know right away when they need to be changed.
3. Needs sleep. Aren’t babies lucky? When they’re tired they can simply go to sleep – anytime, anywhere.
4. Wants to be held. Babies need a lot of cuddling. They like to see their parents’ faces, hear their voices, and listen to their heartbeats, and can even detect their unique smell. Crying can be their way of asking to be held close.
5. Tummy troubles (gas, colic, and more). Tummy troubles associated with gas or colic can lead to lots of crying. In fact, the rather mysterious condition called colic is defined as inconsolable crying for at least three hours a day, at least three days a week, at least three weeks in a row.
6. Needs to burp. Burping isn’t mandatory. But if your baby cries after a feeding, a good burp may be all he needs.
7. Too cold or too hot. When your baby feels chilly, such as when you remove his clothes to change a diaper or clean his bottom with a cold wipe, he may protest by crying.
8. Something small. Babies can be troubled by something as hard to spot as a hair wrapped tightly around a tiny toe or finger, cutting off circulation.
9. Teething. Teething can be painful as each new tooth pushes through tender young gums.
10. Wants less stimulation. Babies learn from the stimulation of the world around them, but sometimes they have a hard time processing it all — the lights, the noise, being passed from hand to hand. Crying can be a baby’s way of saying, “I’ve had enough.”
11. Wants more stimulation. A “demanding” baby may be outgoing and eager to see the world. And often the only way to stop the crying and fussing is to stay active.
12. Not feeling well. If you’ve met your baby’s basic needs and comforted him and he’s still crying, he could be coming down with something.
It’s a daunting task to figure out why your baby is crying. In most cases, you will end up panicking.
In worst-case scenarios when you cannot seem to figure out the reason, your baby will end up crying even louder. That is something you don’t want to happen. You just want to stop the crying immediately so that your baby will feel a lot better. Unfortunately, that is a tricky thing to do.
Although there is still some debate as to whether crying is good or bad for your baby, you just have to respond right away. You cannot ignore your baby’s crying. Hence, the sooner you find out the reason why your baby is crying, the better.
Now if you think that crying is good for your baby’s lungs, think again. Letting your baby cry for a longer period of time does not have any positive effect on the lungs. According to babycenter.com:
No. Letting babies cry doesn’t do anything for their lungs. There’s no reason not to respond promptly to your baby’s cries and do your best to comfort him – though sometimes an overwhelmed baby may just need to be left alone for a few minutes to get to sleep.
Since crying is your baby’s means to communicate with you, the more reason you should respond immediately. By doing so, you will be able to soothe or comfort you baby right away.
The 12 valid reasons can help you figure out whether your baby is in pain, hungry, or simply cranky. You need not make a thousand guesses if you keep the 12 valid reasons in mind all the time.
If you want to learn more about the 12 valid reasons, you can read the full article here. You will also learn how you can calm your baby down.
Can you think of any other valid reason as to why your baby cries?
