Baby's crying makes all parents worried. They wonder, what it is that the baby is constantly asking for so desperately. Crying is the baby's way of asking for help and signalising unsatisfied needs. Newborns usually cry when they are hungry or have a wet nappie. They also cry before sleeping if they are excessively exhausted or too excited to fall asleep.
Few weeks old babies cry when they are left alone, when no one is hugging them or paying attention to them. They lack physical contact and warmth of another human body. Therefore hugging is the ideal way to stop the baby's tears from running.
Children also cry when they feel hot or cold. Check if the back of the baby's neck isn't sweaty, or too cold and pale. Tears can also be connected to pain or fear. Pain can be caused by: uncomfortable clothing or lying position, constipation, indigestion or rash. The baby may be afraid of loud noises or sudden movements to which he isn't used to. And sometimes the baby cries simply because he is bored and wants to play with you.
Crying increases when the baby is 6-7 months old and when he is dealing with more and more new challenges. Initial failures in acquiring new skills can cause frustration, anger and discouragement expressed through crying. Help your baby and encourage him to try something else, something a bit easier. This will make him forget about his frustration.
When the baby cries all the time, you may feel helpless and keep asking yourself "why?". It takes time to learn how to interpret different kinds of crying, and the learning process is not easy. Therefore, don't blame yourself for not being able to read your baby's signals immediately and correctly.
