why might a baby be crying and what could you do to settle him/her?

Answer 1

Hunger
- try gently rubbing his/her cheek, if the baby turns its' head towards your hand (rooting reflex) and appears to be searching then they most likely hungry.

Dirty/Wet nappy
-Very young babies will need to be changed every few hours. Quick tests without requiring removal of the nappy, 1. disposable nappies will look bulkier and feel heavier when wet. 2. if not obviously wet pull back the elastic on one leg to check for poo.

Temperature.
- baby is either too hot or too cold. A baby's feet and hands often feel cooler than the rest of its' body. The easiest way place to check their body temperature is to carefully place a finger tip down the back of its' neck under the collar of its' clothes. If cool then put on more clothing or add blanket(s).
A hot baby's skin tends to be pinker and its' face may look flushed (although with a newborn this is hard to tell). Try removing a layer (blanket(s)/clothing).
Also check the room temperature - the ideal temp for a baby's room is 18*C which may feel chilly to you.

Pain
- including wind, trapped air in their stomach, colic.
Try burping the baby for wind using gentle but firm pats on the back. For colic and wind, try gently rubbing around the baby's navel in a clockwise motion to assist their digestive system. Tip: a colicy baby will often pull its' legs up towards its' chest and have a loud cry.

Tired.
- some babies cry when tired. Gently rocking can help. Too much stimulatation when tired can upset a baby and they will have difficulty settling - if this is the case putting the baby down in a quiet room should help.

Lonely/bored
- babies thrive on company. Talk to the baby, pick it up, cuddle, rock etc....

Sometimes a baby will cry for no obvious reason.
- all you can do is offer comfort, a gentle voice, rocking motions, a cuddle.

If the crying becomes too much for you then make sure the baby is safe and either shut the door and go to another room where you cannot hear it, or go outside, for 10 minutes and just breath. Crying will not hurt the baby so don't feel you should literally have to drop everything to rush to the baby, you can allow few minutes to take care of what you were doing first.

Answer 2

Maybe colic (usually between 6 and 16 weeks, it manifests as late afternoon/evening crying and screaming). If it's colic, it will pass and gripe water or infacol might help. There is also a theory that colic has nothing to do with stomach ache, but is more to do with over stimulation, so putting the baby in a dark quiet room in the evening can help.
A dummy or comforter might help a colicky baby as well - it worked wonders for my second baby and she only used it for a few weeks.
Otherwise babies cry for attention, out of frustration (older baby) apart from the obvious hungry/wet/temperature crying.

Answer 3

Check the obvious first. Are they hungry, tired, or in need of a new diaper. If that is all fine they just may want to cuddle, so try that. Also feel their forehead to see if they are warm, they may be coming down with something. Unfortunately there are many reasons why a baby may cry, as it is their only way of communication. Never let a cry go unattended though, especially if the baby is younger. Just hold them, if anything.

Answer 4

Babies cry for numerous reasons, as I am sure this is obvious to you by now. He could be hungry, he could need a diaper change, he could have gas - you need to pick him up and pat him lightly on the back until he burbs and/or lie him on his back and rub his tummy, and he could simply want just to be held. Don't worry about his lack of sleep; he will sleep when he gets tired enough. If you have any doubts, you should go to the doctor and get him checked to make sure everything is o.k.. Its not easy having a little one and trying to figure out what he needs and what to do. Try to be patient and it will get a bit easier as time passes.

Answer 5

Hello and welcome to parenthood!!!! :)

You have just asked a million dollar question: one that will likely puzzle you again with each new stage of your child's development. Ha! In the meantime there are any number of reasons for your little ones imbalance. Here are some questions to probe as a budding new parental scientist.

How well are you getting to know each other?

What is your child's temperament?

Are you weaving in and out of interactions with your child based on their responses to you?

Are they slow to warm? See this section of my book where I talk about my own infants disposition in the book, Fearless Parenting, Raising Your Child w/ Confidence and Purpose
Does your child appear to need to feel your touch?

Swaddling? Kangaroo care? Attachment parenting? Do you and your newborn value any of these methods?

Are you following a list of rules that others have told you or are you following your heart and your instincts and a loving parent?

Have you heard of Osteopathic Pediatrics and/or Homeopathic Doctors? They can provide you with the most gentle ways of calming your child based on their temperament, especially if there was birth trauma that you are not aware of or tummy discomfort... There may be one in your area.

As you can see the questions that you can ask yourself as you observe your child are numerous. With the help of an elderly neighbor (if neither of your parents are nearby) the support of the LaLeche league in your area, a friend who can take the baby for an hour while you bathe, in-home support from your local hospital, the members of your church... Your resources are surrounding you and as a mother for the second time around I used all of the above and more. So try not to be ashamed to ask for help. You've already gotten a running start right here! Someone to clean, cook a meal, rock the baby and give you a hug can make all the difference. So please reach out for help before you begin second quessing your miraculous gift from God. It is so healthy to be in your learning curve together. So you go fearless one!

P.S. I do hope you share how you find resolve. Not sure why more people don't let us celebrate their accomplishments. Take care. :)

Adelaide Zindler, FP (a Fearless Parent)
http://www.FearlessParenting.com

Answer 6

Crying causes:
Hunger. Colic. Needs burping. Pain. Scared. Lonely. Engaged in an organized plot to keep you awake all day and night. Sick. Thirsty. Itchy. Needs changing.
(((
Settling actions:
Feed. Seek treatment. Put over your toweled shoulder and pat on the back. Seek treatment. Hold and console. Provide entertainment. Call FBI or D.H.S. Seek treatment. Provide drink. Use ointment/powder. Clean and change diaper.

Answer 7

they may be wet stinky hungry over tired have gas be to hot be to cold and they might just want to be held but then they could be getting an ear infection or a cold there are so many reasons babys cry that is there way of communication the best thing to do is pick the lil angel up and find out

Answer 8

there is lots of reasons go through the obvious first, is he/she hungry,tired,needing there nappie changed? If its none of these it could be colic if they are crying alot of the time and wont settle. i use to wrap my kids up in there blanket and sing to them(my singing probably made them worse) it worked for my first son but my second son had colic and i had to get stuff from the chemist he soon settled down. if it is colic try colosynth crystals they are brilliant and was the only thing that helped my son. Good luck!!!xxxxx

Answer 9

There could be lots of reasons, hunger, tired, they may be in pain from wind, try winding them he/she could be suffering with colic, infacol is good for this. Sometimes its hard trying to find out what is wrong when a baby is crying alot, you just have to try everything.

Answer 10

If your baby is not hungry or needing a diaper change he/she may be teething, tired and fighting it, just wanting to be held or played with, the list really does go on....as time goes by you'll recognize the different cries as you get to know your child. go luck!!