During the newborn stage, to be real, at some point, you may find yourself at 2 am with a wailing and unconsolable baby. Wondering why do newborns cry is inevitable, but don’t feel bad because you’re not the only one having this question.
Babies can’t speak out how they feel, so crying is your baby’s first way to communicate with you. As their first language, they use it to tell you when they feel uncomfortable, hungry, just wants to be close to you or exhausted. You might think that all their cries sound the same, especially for new parents. But with time, you’ll hear the subtle differences with each cry and determine what do they need.
Learning why do newborns cry is more than just decoding sounds or telling them apart. You are learning about your child on a deeper level, understanding what you baby’s body and emotions are telling you. Most of the time these are about their needs, like they need feeding, changing or just wanting to be close. Here’s where a newborn carrier for dad can play a surprising yet very essential role. Dads wearing their babies’ close helps with making your little ones feel the warmth, movement, and heartbeat that babies are born into and look for after their time on the womb.
In this article we’ll talk more about the common reasons why do newborns cry, how are you able to recognize each one, and how can you efficiently provide comfort for you little ones.
The Classic Cry: I Need Food Now!
First of our list of the reasons why newborns cry is hunger. Newborns usually feels hungry every 2 – 3 hours after each feed, this is because they have very small stomachs that can only hold small amounts as well. By day one their stomachs are a size of a cherry and by one week a size of a walnut.
To identify it, the hunger cries often start softly and intensifies if their need to feed isn’t addressed quickly. Along with this is when your baby is also rooting, this is what they call it when babies turn their heads to touch and opening their mouth, they may also suck their hands or make smacking noises, to signal that they are already hungry.
The response to this cry is to offer the breast or bottle as soon as you noticed the early hunger cues. Tending to them earlier before they start full-blown crying can help prevent being too upset to latch or feed properly.
Physical Discomfort: The Wet, Hot, or Cold Signal
Second on top of our list is physical discomfort. Not like older children, newborns can’t adjust their clothes, move away from the wind if it’s too cold, or tell you that their diapers are already full and wet. They could only let you know with crying when something doesn’t feel right. We’ll share with you a short checklist of the basics:
- Diaper – Wet and soiled diapers can cause irritation and discomfort.
- Temperature – Too cold or too warm environment can make a baby fussy. So, it’s best to keep the room cool and airy
- Clothing – Babies could easily be irritated if they wore too many layers. Remove tags and loosen tight elastics to avoid skin irritation.
When you address these possibilities of physical discomfort could help them feel relieved instantly.
The Paradoxical Cry: I’m Overtired, But I Can’t Stop
There are some reasons that if you think logically, it won’t make sense to you and this is it for babies, the cry when they are already tired, but they can’t sleep because they are tired.
Identifying the early cues like eye rubbing, fussier than usual and they turn their heads away, it’s most likely due to them being overtired. Their cries may sound whiny and frustrated. This type of cry is harder to soothe because it isn’t something that could be easily resolved compared to cries for an immediate physical need.
They say that prevention is better than cure, and with overtired babies, catching the early cues of tiredness can save you from these cries. Watch out for moments when they yawn, zone out or do some jerky movements, these are your signals that they need to rest.
Tummy Troubles: Gas, Reflux, and Digestive Distress
Another issue that could sometimes be considered last is digestive issues. Babies who have gas, colic or experiencing reflux can feel uncomfortable after feedings. Telling signs are when they arch their backs, clenches their fists, or cry for a short period after eating, most likely, their tummy is the culprit. To relieve this discomfort, you can:
- Burp them more frequently – after 1 – 2 ounces or midway through breastfeeding
- Keep your baby in an upright position – hold them in a sitting position or just upright on your chest 20 – 30 minutes after each feeding.
- Gentle tummy massage – a circular motion can help move any trapped gas in their system
For many parents, baby wearing after feeds are helpful, using a newborn carrier for dad can help keep their hands free but also keep their babies upright helping digestion while keeping the little ones entertained.
The Need for Connection: Hold Me Close, I Feel Unsafe
One heart softening reason why babies cry could be when they just want to be close to you and be held against your chest. Since your baby spent nine months surrounded by warmth, motion and loud sounds, being away from it now feels frightening.
Crying for comfort and responding to them doesn’t mean that you’re “spoiling” them, it’s a biological need and you, responding is a reassurance that you’re there for them for safety and survival. Many parents might not know but being present and holding your child helps them thrive.
Soothing your child through skin-to-skin contact, rocking or babywearing are all very wonderful ways to meet this biological need. For dads, a newborn carrier for dad is an incredible bonding tool that you should take great advantage of. It reinforces the assurance, security and calmness that most babies need.
Sensory Overload: When the World is Just Too Much
Our world is a different kind of loud world for newborns, and most of the time, it’s overwhelming. The bright lights, unfamiliar loud sounds and too many faces of people and an active environment can be too much to a newborn’s developing senses. And when this happens, babies could only cry as a way of shutting out the world and protecting themselves from everything around them. Common signs that they are overstimulated could look like:
- Stiffening their arms and legs
- Turning their head away from stimulation
- Sudden, shrill crying after a busy or loud period of time.
You can take them on a calm, quiet and dimly lit place to help soothe them. Speak softly to them and reduce any kind of noise that would stimulate them further. Hold them close to you to help regulate their heartbeat and until they calm down.
The Mystery Cry: Understanding Colic and the PURPLE Period
There are times when some crying doesn’t have any clear cause, this is the hardest one to determine and soothe babies. The intense inconsolable crying that lasts for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week for more than three weeks is determined as the colic.
There is also a point in the first few months, babies experience something most pediatrician call the purple period of crying. This is a normal developmental phase when crying peaks often in the late afternoon or evening it could be concerning but if you have any doubts always consult your pediatrician.
Although the reasons behind them isn’t known, many experts suggest that it has something to do with their immature nervous systems and their growing sensory awareness. But what’s good to know is that these are temporary, many babies outgrow them by the time they’re about three to four months old.
You can manage this mystery crying with:
- Holding or rocking your baby
- Keep them in motion (on a stroller or a gentle drive)
- Use of white noise
- Baby wearing for soothing contact
Always remember that this phase will also pass so keep your calm and be patient, they need you to keep these two things during these tough moments.
The Urgent Signal: When Crying Indicates Pain or Illness
While most of the fore-mentioned reasons are usually normal, there are times when crying signals something more serious. If your baby’s cry sounds very different, a bit sharper, weaker or non-stop, or they could be accompanied by other symptoms, you should make the call. Immediately seek medical attention if the case is:
- Your newborn doesn’t feed or vomits multiple times
- Has a fever
- Have labored breathing or bluish lips
- Unresponsive and usually limp
- Their belly is somewhat swollen or there’s pain when touched
Conclusion
Crying is the most universal, natural and usually misunderstood part of a newborn’s life. When the question, why do newborns cry, there is something behind it that we want to uncover, and sometimes it’s just before our very eyes. The simple needs like, food, comfort, rest or connection.
And responding to these cries is more than just fulfilling their biological needs it builds the foundation of their emotional development. During the day, using a newborn carrier for dad can make a world of difference, giving both parent and baby a sense of closeness that soothes fussiness and strengthens their bond.
There will come a point where what feels overwhelming now, will one day become second nature to you. So, be more patient and enjoy the feeling that your child needs you more than ever.
