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Why does the child cry?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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All children cry - who is bigger, who is less. This is completely normal. Small children cry from one to three hours every day. But parents are still worried and want to know: why does the child cry? How to calm him down?

What does the child try to say with his weeping?

Your child can not do anything himself and relies on you in everything. Parents give him food, warmth, care, change diapers and smear the teeth with honey when they are cut. Crying is a way of communicating your child, his statement about his needs or his discontent with the circumstances in which a little man has fallen into. And this expectation of a response from you.

Sometimes it's not easy for parents to understand what your child is telling you by crying. But over time, you will learn to recognize what your child needs. And as your baby grows, he will learn other ways of communicating with you. She will walk, make noise and smile, and his need for crying will gradually decline. What does the child try to tell you with his crying?

"I am hungry!"

Hunger is one of the most common reasons why your newborn baby cries. The younger your child, the more likely it is: he cries for wanting to eat.

Your child's small stomach does not take up much space, so if he cries, try feeding him milk. He may be hungry, even if the last feeding was, as you think, not very long ago. It is likely that you feed the baby often and regularly, but he still may want to eat. Especially if it's breastfeeding, the mother's chest is tight and the baby receives little milk. Even if you take a child in your arms, he can not stop crying at once, you need to let him calm down first.

"I just want to cry"

If your child is younger than five months, she can cry in the afternoon and evening. This is normal, and this does not mean that something is wrong with your child.

The periods of crying can range from short periods of inconsolable crying to several hours of crying in a row. During crying, your child can blush and not react even when you take him in his arms, efforts to calm him are in vain. The child can compress the cams, pull the legs, arch the back. When it seems that you can not do anything to alleviate the suffering of the child, just wait for a while. The kid himself will stop crying.

If this does not happen, the child's persistent and inconsolable crying can be associated with bloating or digestive problems. It can also be associated with allergy or intolerance to certain substances in breast milk or milk mixtures.

When can a child cry?

  • Your child can cry every week, most often at the age of two months, less often from three to five months.
  • Crying can come and go, you can not determine the cause.
  • Your child can not stop crying, regardless of whether you try to calm him or not.
  • A crying child can look as if it hurts something, even when the pain is not really there. Then you need to see a doctor to determine the cause of crying.
  • The crying of a child can last for several hours throughout the day.
  • Your little child can cry more and more often in the afternoon and evening.

"I need more caress"

Your child may need more embrace, physical contact with his mother is necessary to gain self-confidence and calm down.

Try to hold the child more in your arms, shaking and singing a song. From this, the child calms down and feels more protected.

You may be afraid to spoil the character of your child by holding too much. But during the first few months of life this, on the contrary, is good. Little children need a lot of physical contact with their parents in the first months after birth. When you hold the baby in your arms, it calms down when you hear your heartbeat.

"I'm tired and I need to rest"

Often it is difficult for children to fall asleep, especially if they are very tired. You should distinguish between your child's signals that he wants to sleep, but can not fall asleep for some reason. Then the child is capricious and aching for the slightest reason, stupidly staring into space, or whimpering softly.

If your child receives a lot of attention from guests throughout the day, he can overdo and get too many emotions. Then, when it comes to sleep, it will be difficult for him to turn off consciousness and fall asleep. Take the child in his arms, talk to him calmly and quietly, to help him calm down. And then he will fall asleep, finally ceasing to cry.

"I'm too cold or too hot"

Your child may hate changing diapers or bathing. It can be annoyed by a change of temperature when changing clothes or water. Of course, the child reacts to this with a loud roar.

Then you just need to quickly change diapers and bathe it not so long. Try not to dress your child in a hundred clothes, so that he was not hot or stuffy.

You can check if your baby is comfortable at this temperature by trying his tummy. If it is too hot or too cold to touch, then the baby is uncomfortable. Use several layers of clothing or blankets to adjust the temperature of the child. If it's too hot, remove one blanket, and if you feel that the baby is cold, add a blanket.

If you want to determine exactly whether your child is comfortable, do not rely on his hands or feet, because usually they are cool, even if the room is hot. Just keep the child's temperature around 18 ° C. He will get used to one temperature and will not be capricious about this.

"I need to change a diaper!"

Your child may protest if his clothing is too tight or if it is disturbed by wet or dirty diapers. True, a child can not cry, even if his diaper is already full, because he may like warm and comfortable sensations. But if your child has tender skin, which quickly irritates with a full diaper, he will most likely put on a hysterics.

"I got sick!"

Be aware of all the changes in your child's health. If he is unwell, his crying may be different - not as if a child had wet a diaper or just wanted on his hands. His crying can be weaker, mournful, continuous or higher in sound. And if your child usually cries a lot, and now in his room has become unusually quiet, this may be a sign that everything is not very good with him.

No one knows your child the way you do. If you feel that something is wrong with him, consult a doctor. Medical professionals will always seriously take up problems with your child. Call your doctor if your child has difficulty breathing, if his crying is accompanied by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.

The baby is still crying. What can you do?

Why does the child cry?

Care for a child who cries regularly and inconsolably can be very difficult. What else can you do to help the baby cope with crying?

As you learn the nature and habits of your child, you will determine which methods work best for him. If none of the above methods help, these additional methods of combating child crying can help.

Organize your child's constant sound background

The sounds of a lullaby can soothe a crying child. There are other recurring sounds, which can also have a calming effect.

Steady noise of the washing machine, measured noise of a vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer can put your child to sleep. The silent sound of a working TV can also help.

You can also download a sound background to a computer or phone for your child and put a carrier next to it. This will reassure the baby. There are special melodies for children, which are desirable for them to include.

Shake the baby

Children usually like cautious rocking. Then they stop crying. You can organize the following.

  • Walk with a swing in the stroller.
  • To sit with the child on hands in a rocking chair.
  • If the child is old enough, you can put him on a child's swing.
  • The child can calm down in the child seat in the car.

Try to make a baby a tummy massage

Using massage oils or creams and gently rubbing them into the back or abdomen of the child, you can help him calm down and stop crying. It can also help him feel better, as this is a practical way to reduce pain in your baby's stomach.

Try different feeding positions

Some babies cry during or after feeding. If your baby is breastfeeding, help by trial and error that pose when feeding, which will allow the baby to do without tears.

Some newborns need to suck something can be very strong. Breast sucking during feeding, sucking a finger or nipples after feeding can bring a child psychological comfort. Sucking, according to scientific research, can stabilize the child's heart rate, relax his tummy, and help solve problems with crying.

Organize your child a warm bath

A warm bath can help the baby calm down. Check the water temperature before bathing the baby in the bath. But keep in mind that this can make his crying even more intense if the child does not like to swim. In time, you will find out whether your child is in love with water or vice versa - experiencing antipathy towards her.

Take care of yourself

If you and your child are upset and you have tried everything to stop crying, it makes sense to call a friend or relative for support. Take a break, let someone else take the baby for a while, so as to calm your and his nerves.

Tell yourself that nothing bad will happen to the child and that crying will not do him harm. Do not blame yourself for the fact that your baby cries, over and over again try the means that will help and help the child calm down.

Be sure that, as your child grows, he will find new ways to communicate with you. He will find new methods of communicating to you about his problems and needs. And when this happens, you will forget about this terrible question: "Why does the child cry?".

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