Baby Crying Patterns

Baby crying is very common. A mistake that mothers very often make is associating all the baby crying with hunger. Baby crying can be for various other reasons as well. The only way she can communicate with you is through her cries. Usually, a baby has different baby crying patterns to let you know her various needs. Interpreting them may be difficult initially, you can slowly differentiate them by paying attention. You must try and act accordingly rather than trying to stop the baby crying. As your baby grows older, the baby crying usually takes a downward curve.

You may be surprised to know that crying is sometimes beneficial for the baby. It strengthens her lungs.

Some Common Reasons for Baby Crying

• She is hungry.
• Her diapers are wet or soiled and she is uncomfortable.
• She wants to be carried in your arms.
• She has colic.
• She feels lonely and is bored.
• She is in pain because of a diaper pin or too tight clothing and/or diaper.
• She finds the surrounding temperature either too hot or too cold.
• She has started teething.
• She has a mild fever.
• She finds noises around her quite disturbing.

If your baby continues crying after you have identified her cries and responded to it, you can try the following to calm her:

• Keep her as close to you as possible and maintain the skin-to-skin contact.
• Rock your baby gently in your arms, her cradle or crib.
• Pat her on her back or front a few times.
• Talk to your baby.
• Swaddle her so that she feels warm and cosy.
• Move around with her in your arms or a push chair for a while.
• Play soft and soothing music.
• Burp her so that she does not feel uncomfortable because of the gas.
• Give her a nice warm bath.

Please tell me how I can identify some baby crying patterns.

Babies cry in different intensities according to their needs. The distress level increases with the pitch of her cries. Some different ways that you can identify the various baby crying patterns are:

• Your baby gives out a short cry that is not very loud to indicate hunger. The cries rise and fall. They sound more as if the baby is pleading to you for her food. These cries are preceded by clues such as lip smacking, rooting or finger sucking. If you feed her as soon as you see her doing these, you can avoid tears coming from your little one's eyes.
• Your baby gives out a sudden, long and high pitched cry to indicate pain. This often leaves her breathless for a brief while. Once she regains her breath, she starts crying again following the same pattern.
• Your baby's cries sound as if she is whistling. This turns into fussiness followed by an angry cry. She stops crying as soon as you pick her up.
• Your baby starts whining to indicate discomfort and the sounds appear as if they come from her nose. The intensity of this cry gradually increases till she is attended to.
• Your baby gives out a very low and weak nasal cry to indicate illness. It is followed by changes in the baby such as fever, refusing to eat, limited movements of her limbs, diarrhoea and so on.