Understanding your baby’s cries
It can be difficult to know what your baby is trying to tell you, but as you get to know them, you’ll get better at knowing what their different cries mean. You’ll soon be able to narrow down the possible causes so you can have fewer tears and more smiles.
Start by ruling things out. The most common causes of a baby crying are:
- Hunger: offer a feed.
- A wet or dirty nappy: check your baby and change them if necessary
- The need for reassurance: give your baby a cuddle or gently rock them, talk to them or give them something to suck such as a dummy or a clean teething ring.
- Temperature: check your baby’s not too hot or cold. A comfortable room temperature is around 16-20°C - quite low considering summer temperatures - and a normal body temperature is around 37°C.
Other reasons for baby crying
If you’ve made sure your baby has been fed, changed, cuddled and made comfortable and they’re still crying, it could be because of colic or nappy rash.
Colic
Colic is common in babies, yet the cause is not clear. If your baby is suffering from colic, they are getting uncomfortable, gripey stomach cramps. This can result in the baby’s cries being more high-pitched than usual. You can read more about colic and ways to soothe it here.
Nappy rash
Nappy rash is a dry, sore skin condition which can be caused by various things:
- the ammonia that results from old urine in a dirty nappy.
- the alcohol that can be found in some baby wipes.
- strong detergent (if it’s been used to wash terry or cloth nappies).
Nappy rash is very uncomfortable for your baby and can understandably make them cry. Find out how to get rid of the causes of nappy rash and your baby will be much more comfortable.
If you’ve eliminated all of the above as reasons why your baby is crying and you’re still worried, speak to your health care professional or call us and we’ll try and help. Our expert advisors are here to help women with their questions or concerns. Please call, email or LiveChat our team for personalised advice.