Taking care of babies is a pretty straightforward process. Considering that they’re essentially tiny humans, tending to their needs is relatively easy. All you need to do is give them the same things you would a regular-sized human, and you’re good to go!
If you’ve heard someone say any of the things stated in the previous paragraph, chances are you’ll think that person’s out of their mind. This is because taking care of a baby is far from easy. Even if you have some experience caring for babies, it’s safe to say that you’ll still have your work cut out for you.
You could argue that every baby is different, making it very difficult for you to find a universal method of care that works for all babies. However, this isn’t the only thing that makes caring for babies challenging. It’s also because babies can’t communicate the same way a fully-grown human does. Instead, they cry. As a result, it’s hard to understand what a baby needs and it becomes very stressful when they cry.
However, despite this apparent communication barrier, there’s still a way to understand what your baby is crying about. In this case, the way your baby is crying can help indicate what may be bothering them. With that in mind, this article will delve into some common reasons why babies cry and how you can tell the cause of their crying!
Why Do Babies Cry?
Babies cry because this is the only way they can communicate. That’s the simplest answer there is. If you’ve ever taken care of a baby, be it a younger sibling or your first baby, you can attest to the fact that they cry almost all the time.
However, while this may be the case, there is always an underlying reason for your baby’s crying. What’s more, they’re trying to let you know that. Unfortunately, you just can’t tell what they’re trying to communicate. Despite this, there are several common reasons why they may end up crying.
Your baby is hungry? They cry. Your baby just soiled themselves? They cry. They’re uncomfortable? They cry. The way you set them down on their crib was different than what they’re used to? They cry. No matter what happens, your baby will cry at some point. As much as it might be painful to your ears or hard to deal with, they really don’t know any better.
Common Causes of A Crying Baby
As mentioned earlier, there are several different reasons that would cause a baby to cry. If anything, it seems like a baby will cry for any reason. Of course, you might feel like that is indeed the case. However, there are some specific reasons why a baby would cry. What’s more, the way they cry could help act as an indicator for the reason they’re crying.
With that in mind, here are a few common reasons why a baby would have the urge to cry. Along with these reasons would be certain characteristics of their crying fit, which could hint to the cause behind their crying.
Hunger
One of the most common reasons that babies cry is because they’re hungry. It’s so common that a lot of people have a tendency to instantly think a baby is crying because they’re hungry. What’s more, they’re usually right!
Given that it’s a very common reason for crying, people have been able to figure out the characteristics of a baby’s cry when they’re hungry. In this case, a cry that sounds a lot like a siren may be a hint that they’re hungry. What’s more, if they seem to be putting their hands to their mouth or turning their head towards a bottle, this may be more of a hint to their hunger.
Soiled Diapers
Aside from hunger, one of the other very common reasons that a baby cries would be because they’ve soiled themselves. This makes sense because soiling oneself is rather unpleasant. So, you could get why they’d cry about it.
With that in mind, if a baby’s cry sounds rather whiny and nasal, and persists for a long while, chances are they’re crying over a dirty diaper. If the cry increases in intensity, that’s even more of a sign that they need to have their diaper changed.
Tired or Sleepy
While it might seem a little contradictory, babies also cry when they’re tired. If you think about it, it actually makes sense. As they’re not being made to sleep, they end up getting stressed. This stress makes them uncomfortable, which can then cause them to cry.
So, with that in mind, when your baby has a high pitched cry with a lot of breath behind it, there’s a chance that they're tired. If they start whimpering before they cry, that’s another sign supporting that they’re tired. Yawning and rubbing their eyes are also supporting characteristics to a tired crying baby.
Discomfort
Of course, a baby could also cry because they’re generally uncomfortable.However, considering that they get uncomfortable easily, it may still be difficult to tell what’s causing this discomfort. Fortunately, there are actions and gestures that can also serve as clues. For example, if they’re fidgety or reach for something away from them, you can tell they’re uncomfortable because they don’t want to be where they currently are.
Along with this, if your baby cries in a way that combines all the characteristics of a hungry, tired, and soiled diaper cry, chances are this is a cry due to discomfort. Knowing that, you can at least try and put your baby somewhere else, let them walk elsewhere, or let someone else hold them
Babies have difficulty communicating their feelings and wants. Unfortunately, since they can’t verbalize yet, they choose to cry. What’s more, sometimes it’s hard to tell why they’re crying. However, over the years people have noticed that the way they cry can point to what’s making them cry. With that in mind, paying close attention to the way they’re crying can save you and your baby a lot of trouble. Once you get used to it, you’ll know exactly why your baby’s crying and what you can do about it as soon as possible!
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