Keys To Understanding Why Babies Cry

By Melanie Bremner

Crying is a way for a baby to communicate with his outside environment. All cultures in the world are aware of the way a baby will cry for attention in order for someone to come to attend to his needs.

Although a baby may cry the most often during the first few months of her life, the intensity of the cry increases as the child grows older and her lungs become more developed.

Various factors contribute to why a baby may cry. After the first six weeks of life, a baby becomes more in tune with his external surroundings. Loud noises, quick movements, or any other foreign external reaction can cause a baby to become startled and set him off into a fit of fearsome tears.

There are many reasons for a baby to start crying. The following is a list of the most common reasons.

Hunger:

This cry is often characterized as being a howl that is persistent, demanding, and almost rhythmical. A baby's belly is only the size of a walnut in the first few months of their lives, and must be continuously fed in a consistent manner every 2-4 hours. You will notice as a baby grows older and the stomach intake expands, these frantic howls for nourishment will become less frequent and intense. Breastfed babies often have to nurse more often due to the fact that although a mother's milk may be more nutritious and healthier for a baby, it is also less heavy in the stomach.

Boredom:

Boredom is another reason why a baby may cry. Babies are in a constant state of learning, developing and growing. Their little minds require a lot of stimulation to keep them going. Most often this can be accomplished by merely playing with your baby. Pick him up and sing to him, dance a little, tell him a story or show him a new toy or object he has never seen before. Once a baby has something new to absorb, he is often satisfied and can settle down for the next little while. A boredom cry is usually also rhythmical with a lot of sobs and moans.

Discomfort:

Discomfort can also cause a baby to cry. As with most people pain can cause a lot of discomfort. A baby has no other way to express his unease other than to cry. These types of cries are often more persistent, louder, and more demanding in nature. Shrieks and screams are often predominant with these types of cries.

There are many reasons why a baby may cry. Part of the learning process between a parent and their child is interpreting and understanding the various causes so we can better help our baby learn to help himself as he grows.

About the Author

Melanie Bremner is a mother of three who has written and published several children's stories, taught Sunday school, and graduated from business school, with a minor in psychology.

She is presently running and maintaining an online e-book family shop, and produces a weekly newsletter full of stories, facts and fun for the whole family. If you would be interested in receiving tips on various topics of raising children, you can sign up for her newsletter at http://ebooks4families.biz

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