Babies crying is a very natural condition. Because a baby's crying is not just a sound, it is a signal that they use for survival and for parents to learn to be parents. When your baby cries, especially if you are a first-time parent, feeling helpless and inadequate is normal.
Babies crying is a very natural condition. Because a baby's crying is not just a sound, it is a signal that they use for survival and for parents to learn to be parents. When your baby cries, especially if you are a first-time parent, feeling helpless and inadequate is normal.
But don't worry, you are not alone because many parents like you experience the same feelings. In normal cases, babies cry from the moment of birth. Crying is their way of communication because they cannot speak, and unfortunately, they express their needs by crying until they can talk. Naturally, no baby can grow without crying. If your baby is crying, it means they are trying to tell you something. The important thing is to understand the reason for their crying. This is a skill that you can only gain by getting to know your baby and gaining experience over time. Once you start looking at your baby, you will gradually begin to understand whether they are crying due to hunger, gas, or fatigue. However, acquiring this experience takes some time. The best thing you can do during this process is to be patient and try to understand why your baby is crying.
Normally, most babies cry 1-3 hours a day. However, one out of ten babies may cry a little more. If you have such a baby, feeling very tired, helpless, and exhausted is quite natural.
1-Hunger: Hunger is actually the most common reason for babies to cry. Especially, when your baby is very small, crying due to hunger is more frequent. Because babies' stomachs are very tiny in the first few days. That's why they nurse frequently and get hungry often. Most mothers think, 'I nursed him about an hour ago, so my baby shouldn't be hungry.' However, breast milk is digested quickly and empties the stomach quickly. Therefore, babies get hungry very quickly and cry. However, babies fed with formula can nurse at longer intervals. They may not get hungry for 2-3 hours, sometimes even 4 hours. Because the digestion of formula is slower and empties the stomach more slowly. In short, if your baby is small and crying, first check if they are hungry.
2-Gas Pains: Especially in the first weeks, gas pains are one of the reasons for babies crying. These crying spells usually start between the 2nd and 4th weeks, peak at 40 days, and usually resolve on their own around the 3rd or 4th month. Although they can last all day, these crying episodes that accumulate towards the evening are not completely understood. But if your baby is gaining weight well, and your doctor has not identified any underlying causes (infection, allergy, reflux, etc.), being patient and seeking support will help you endure. Remember, these gas pains babies experience are a temporary condition.
3-May Want to Be Held: Especially in the first few months, newborn babies often want to be held to feel the security they had in the mother's womb. Babies who spent nine months in the mother's womb like to be in someone's arms in the early months. Because it gives them confidence. Remember, no baby who has grown up refuses to be held. Also, your baby is so small that you can hold them as much as they want. So, holding them as much as they want is the main way for them to be happy and peaceful and to calm their crying. If holding them becomes tiring for you, you can try using a sling or baby carrier.
4-Fatigue: The daily cycles of small babies are quite short. Within 1 to 1.5 hours, they get hungry, nurse, soil their diaper, sleep, and wake up. So, they get tired and need rest. In the first weeks of your baby, you may find it difficult to understand their signs of fatigue and need for sleep. But as time passes, you will start to recognize your baby's signs of fatigue and it will be easier to calm them down.
5-May Have Soiled Diaper: When babies urinate or defecate, they feel irritation on their skin and cry. Changing the diaper can provide relief. Therefore, when your baby is crying, it is important to first check their diaper. But in the first months, babies can cry a lot during diaper changes. Because the temperature difference when the diaper is opened and wiped bothers them. It gives an insecure feeling. But over time, if you get more practice in changing diapers and show them comforting toys, their crying will decrease.
6-Room Temperature: If the environment your baby is in is too hot or too cold, they may feel uncomfortable. In winter months, the room temperature should be 22-24 degrees Celsius. Many parents think their baby is cold when their hands, feet, and nose are cold. However, the three extremities of the body are always cold. You can determine if your baby is cold by looking at their abdomen or back. If your baby's back and abdomen are not cold, your baby is not cold. The coldness of the hands, feet, and nose does not indicate that your baby is cold. So, dressing your baby in clothes suitable for room temperature without making them too hot or too cold can reduce their crying.
7-May Be Sick. As you get to know your baby and spend time with them, you will start to understand the type of their crying. The way they cry for hunger, gas, or soiling their diaper can be different. If your baby is sick, you will easily start to understand that their crying is different. Also, it is necessary to check if there are accompanying symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. If these symptoms accompany the crying, it is advisable to consult your doctor.
In conclusion, if your baby is crying, it is not because of a mistake you made. In fact, babies cry. But if your baby is crying, be sensitive to them, try to solve the reasons for their crying, which is their only means of communication, and try to help them. In other words, try to get to know your baby. If you think that there is a physical discomfort under their crying, you should consult your doctor and seek help. There will be times when you cannot understand why your baby is crying, and you will feel very helpless. But being patient will help you overcome this situation.
When your baby cries, responding to them right away, identifying the reasons for their crying, and trying to soothe them are important. Because calming their crying psychologically comforts them and strengthens the bond between you. Ignoring your baby's crying to some extent will not spoil them. If you ignore their crying to some extent, you may end up with a more dependent baby who cries more.
