Learn to differentiate the types of crying of your baby
What does my baby need when he cries? Sometimes it can be hunger, a pain, it can be due to colic, or being sleepy. How to alleviate it?
The baby’s cry has the function of helping the little one to express himself . It is the first and practically the only form of relationship with the world until approximately the first year of life. They use crying to express all kinds of complaints: hunger, tiredness, pain, boredom, frustration, etc. It has been shown that during the first three months of life crying is more frequent, reaching its maximum at 7 weeks. From there it begins to decrease until 12 months.
During these 3 months there are some cries of the baby that do not have a concrete explanation, however in most of the times we can interpret the cry if we develop a little sensitivity and pay attention . Normally the tone and intensity vary according to the needs of the baby, following some general guidelines.
Index
TYPES OF CRYING, LEARN TO DIFFERENTIATE THEM
We can differentiate, in a basic way, about 6 types of crying in the baby:
1- Hunger :
This crying begins in a subtle and slow way. If time passes and the little one still does not receive food, the rhythm and severity of the crying begins to increase. If he is very hungry it is very high and the baby only stops to breathe.
2- Pain and illness :
Crying in pain is the most intense type of crying you can ever have. The sick ones are rather long and moaning. The baby is listless, sad, and lacking in appetite. They are usually followed by the hand and intermingle, as in otitis. If that happens, see a doctor immediately.
3- Crying from colic :
A sign that our baby suffers from colic pain is when he always cries at the same times of the day (for example only in the afternoon), he stays for a long time and it is difficult to comfort him.
When our baby has this type of cry, we will surely experience it in a very frustrating way and it will be very easy to lose patience. We have to be very patient because we will not find a way to calm him down first. A temporary solution is for both parents to take turns so that the same person is not always overloaded.
4- Sleep :
It is easy to recognize. The baby will begin to cry increasing its intensity according to the time that has passed, at the same time the child will begin to rub his eyes or yawn. To calm him, cuddle him and give him a comfortable and quiet place where he can rest.
Some parents complain that some babies do not stop crying until they get to sleep with them, that it is better to let them cry until they get used to it. It is because babies feel lonely and insecure if they notice the distant mother. If when the babies cry the mother does not come to calm them, over time the babies will become insecure and will begin to distrust the mother, they will be afraid that she will not return and will surely end up crying more in the future.
One strategy to prevent this from happening is for the mother to stay with the baby for the first few months , not necessarily in the same bed, but they can leave the crib in the same room as the parents. The baby will feel protected because he knows that the attachment figure is close and will get sleepy sooner. Over time you can change the room until it gets used to it . It is advisable to do it before 6 months, in this way it will not be so traumatic.
5- Boredom or loneliness :
It occurs when the child feels lonely or abandoned. Seek parental attention. In these cases, the crying maintains a characteristic rhythm and puts the lips forward, as if putting on snouts. It’s more of a whimper and stops when you pick up the baby. He goes to take care of the baby and give him a little affection. Surely there will be people who will tell you that by coming so quickly to his call you will be spoiling him. However, it is impossible to spoil a baby, on the contrary, if we take care of the baby quickly we will make him feel more secure and in the future he will cry less because he will know that the attachment figure is always close and when it is needed.
6- The baby feels uncomfortable :
Either because he is cold, hot, wet … Check the amount of clothes he is wearing and if he has a dry diaper. Sometimes he also cries because there is an excess of stimulation in the environment, too much noise, too much light, etc.
HOW DO I GET THE BABY TO STOP CRYING?
We can implement the following measures:
– Serve you as soon as possible , especially if you are under 6 months. As we said before, in this way we are showing him that there is someone who loves him, protects him and is with him. It is very important for a correct development of self-esteem. On the other hand, if you spend more than 15 minutes trying to comfort him and you can’t, take a break and if you can, have someone else take over. you have to be aware of what your limit is and not saturate yourself. This will help you avoid accumulating frustration and anxiety, as well as irritability or resentment towards the little one.
– Use a repetitive movement . Pick him up and rock him, carry him around the room, put him in the cart, and gently rock him back and forth. According to doctors and psychologists, babies are reassured and fall asleep because repetitive movement is something predictable that helps them feel safe (they know what is going to happen next).
– Background sounds . The sounds that the baby heard when he was in the mother’s womb are especially comforting to him because it reminds them of when they were in the placenta. The voice of the parents, the heartbeat of the mother, electrical appliances that you used to hear at home (such as the vacuum cleaner or the washing machine) will help calm the baby.
– Give him a massage. A bedtime massage is especially helpful because it helps you fall asleep and reduce pain in the event of illness. Rub it with special children’s oil from head to toe for about 10 minutes. If, in addition to the massage, you follow a daily routine, you will earn twice as much (for example, bath, then massage, put on pajamas and sleep).
-When it comes to cradling him, wrap him in something : a blanket, a towel … It’s another way to give him back some of the security he lost when he went out into the world.
-Use a pacifier : babies don’t just suckle to satisfy their hunger. For this reason, it can be a temporary help for when the baby cries but has not yet started to scream, it must be given at the right time. Of course, avoid sweetening it with sugar or honey (even if you are hungry) to prevent damage to your teeth . It is advisable to remove the pacifier from 6 months, when the need to suckle is not so great.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.