The first few months of a baby’s life can be difficult, because as they don’t know how to speak, crying becomes their main tool for communication. And yet there is nothing we like less than hearing our children cry, so today we are going to share with you 10 infallible tips for stopping babies crying.
There are many reasons why babies cry, the most common, and the ones we usually think of first being that they are hungry or tired. Hands up whoever hasn’t heard someone say “that baby’s hungry” when you are with the family or a group of friends, and have a crying baby in your arms.
But it isn’t always so easy to distinguish or understand why a baby is crying. If you are a parent you will already have realized this. Even though you can identify the kinds of crying of your baby better than anyone else, there are times when even you find it difficult. So today, stitch by stitch, we are going to go through the most frequent reasons why your baby might be crying, and the best ways of getting him to stop.
Why do babies cry?
In order to stop your baby crying, the first thing to do is to find out why he is crying in the first place, as there are different strategies for each situation. Below are the most common reasons and the advice we would give to stop them crying.
One of the most common reasons for crying is that they are hungry. It’s very important to maintain a routine with children’s mealtimes. You should stick to this routine at the weekends as well, as if you don’t, your baby might feel uncomfortable and in addition to crying, he might even push the food away once you give it to him. We don’t mean that each meal has to be at exactly the same time every day, but it should be within the same time range, and if for any reason one day you can’t stick to it, anticipate this and give him something to keep him busy until mealtime.
Another reason from the top of the list is that they are tired. When a baby is tired but can’t fall asleep, he usually gets nervous and in a bad mood, which obviously goes against the calm he needs to go to sleep. So, it becomes a vicious circle of being tired and angry that is not easy to get out of. Don’t wait until your baby is too tired, but rather put him to bed at the first signs of sleepiness.
When it is cold or very hot babies get uncomfortable and they show this by crying. Remember that they like being nice and warm, as this makes them feel protected and comfortable, but you don’t have to dress them as if they were going to the North Pole. As a general rule, they usually need one more layer than you to feel good.
Dirty nappy! This is something that is easy to identify with various senses. Some babies like to have their nappies changed immediately while others don’t mind waiting a bit. You will soon learn which group your baby is in. In any case, the solution is easy.
Another reason why babies cry, and one that really upsets parents, is colic. The stomach problems that lead to colic could come from the gases which babies get when feeding. Nowadays there are baby bottles that minimize this problem; you can also try massages and exercises which usually work:
1. Move your right hand clockwise around your baby’s belly button.
2. Then, with your left hand, make a half moon in the same direction various times.
3. Finally, get hold of his legs with your hands and stretch them and move them back towards his belly with a gentle and rhythmic movement.
Repeat and alternate these movements if you see that your baby starts to relax. In any case, if he gets colic frequently, you should go to the doctor.
In relation to the above point, the need to burp is very uncomfortable for babies. When they are breast or bottle fed, they often swallow air and if they don’t get rid of it then it can really bother them. To avoid this, you should pause various times during feeding and help him get rid of the air. Put him upright, put his chin on your shoulder and pat him gently on the back.
Some noises, such as sudden and loud sounds, can also make them cry. This kind of situation can frighten them, so avoid noisy places and sounds that can scare them.
His teeth are coming out. This is more painful for some babies than for others, but in general, when their first teeth come out, their gums hurt and they feel uncomfortable. Teeth generally come out when they are aged 4 to 7 months, and a good way of relieving the pain is to give them a special teething ring, which you can buy at chemists and childcare stores, or you could massage their gums with very clean fingers. If your baby is already on solid food, a fresh yoghourt or fruit purée will help.
Sometimes all they want is for you to pick them up. Don’t forget that babies need a lot of love. They have just come into the world, which is huge and unknown for them, so they might be crying just to see you near them, hear your voice and feel your heartbeat, claiming that special time of closeness.
If you see that your baby keeps on crying after you have checked that they have everything they need, then he is probably getting ill. Take his body temperature and check for any symptoms that might show signs of a possible illness: tearful eyes, a runny nose, earache when you gently touch his ears … don’t think twice about it, take him to the doctor because crying in this case means he needs some kind of medicine to get him better.
These are the main reasons why a baby might cry and the tips for how to help them. Tell us all about your own experiences – do you have any tips you want to share that could help other parents?
