The first cry of your baby is really a wonderful experience and it indicates that your baby is healthy with great lungs. But as the weeks pass by, this excitement turns to frustration as you are simply unable to understand why your baby is crying. You have no clue how to soothe the little one and keep on trying several things that at times don’t work. Sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what will pacify your baby and you may be worried that your parenting skills aren’t up to the mark.
Simply understanding your baby can take the stress out of the situation to a great extent. Fortunately, there are various things to calm down your baby and make both of you feel better. Continue reading for some time tested ideas that will help you handle fussy situations better.
Why do babies cry?
Babies may cry for various reasons as they don’t know any other means to communicate what they need. Babies, during their first few months still need the environment that stimulates what they experienced in the womb. Your baby may be hungry, tired or wet and wants her mom to address the needs. It may be stressful for both the mother and the infant when she won’t stop crying for hours and won’t even respond to you. Identifying the exact cause behind her cries can help you to take care of her easily and avoid getting upset.
Identifying your baby’s signals
Within few weeks of your baby’s birth, you will be able to identify her cries in a way that no one else can do. Child development professionals have stated that certain types of signals mean certain things. Since not all babies are same, they don’t cry the same way.
Hunger: If 2 or 3 hours have passed by and your baby begins to cry, it probably means that she is hungry. Learning the signs of hunger will help you to feed even before the crying stage starts. Some signs like smacking of lips, putting their hands in the mouth indicate that your baby is hungry.
Diaper change: A dirty or full diaper often irritates the little one. Try to understand the source of discomfort when she cries.
Sleepy: Signs like rubbing eyes, decreased activity, yawning indicates that your baby is tired and needs some sleep. Notice for these signs in your crying infant and get the bed prepared.
Want to be held: Babies love to be cuddled. Crying may be signs that she is asking to be held close. If your baby wakes up as soon as she is placed in her crib and starts crying, it means that she misses the warmth of your body and doesn’t like to be left alone.
Pain: Your infant may also cry a lot if she has tummy troubles. Crying for a long time indicates that she may be feeling some sort of tummy pain. Give her a few drops of gripe water to bring some relief. Also check for any ear pain as this is also common in babies.
Some techniques to soothe your crying baby:
There are no fixed rules to soothe your baby as it depends a lot on the baby’s mood. It is you who have to find out what works best for her.
Rocking: Take your baby in your arms and gently sway her from side to side. If you are tired, use a rocking chair or a baby swing.
Pacifiers: Sucking is a great soothing method, so a pacifier can calm your crying baby. Studies have shown that pacifiers also help prevent sudden infant death syndrome.
White noise: A little white noise can also help her to feel as if she is back in the womb. Turn on the fan or tune a radio to provide constant low level sound.
Burping: A crying baby often gulps down a lot of air and this can make her bloated. Burping her gently may help her to feel relaxed and take control of the situation.
Summary
Crying is very normal for a baby, but moms should figure out how to calm the new born easily by identifying some cry signals and following some relief techniques.
