Does Your Baby Cry?

How does it make you feel when your baby cries? If you are not used to it, it can be pretty upsetting, but here are a few guidelines to help you focus on just why he or she might be crying.

Generally, babies don't talk - at least not as we know it! The only way they have that can adequately express they need or want something, is to cry. Your baby can suddenly burst into tears simply because baby wants attention. It makes no difference where in the world you come from, this is a universal language of crying = want/need. During those early months crying is THE communication tool.

There are those who feel that a baby may cry more during the day as a reflection of the mood or atmosphere created by the adults that are around them. Thinking about this logically, it has to have some effect on the baby. Having said that though, there are also those who believe that a baby is able to detach themselves from the world around them to some degree in order to be able to rest when they need to. We live in an age of increasing noise pollution, but babies still seem to be

able to sleep through it - once they reach that point. As time passes however - and this period of time may only be weeks - then babies sleep patterns can be interrupted just like those of the rest of us. This is a time when they become sensitive to a variety of external influences and disturbances. This is the time when crying becomes a major reaction.

Unfortunately there is no real pocket-dictionary for the interpretation of baby crying and parents can find themselves painfully trying to work out just what it is that their baby is trying to communicate. Let's take a look at some possibilities:

Maybe your baby is hungry. This is a pretty common reason for those tears, particularly in the early months. With some babies you can almost set your watch by their demands! They may even produce another audible sound - their stomach rumbling. It has been said that you can almost hear a persistent, rhythmical yet demanding pattern to the crying when they are hungry.

One of the problems with having babies is that they can't operate a remote for a television or computer games console! They get bored. After all, if you had limited mobility that prevented you from adequate movement and only able to pretty much stare at a fixed point, wouldn't you get bored? Babies not just want, but need stimulation - it forms part of their early years education. The result of a lack in this area can often result in a baby crying. So what do you do? You play and have fun with your baby. These opportunities also strengthen the bonds between baby and parents.

It should be obvious that if a baby is in pain (or uncomfortable), a crying baby will quite likely be the result. Babies are of course fragile in all sorts of ways. They are vulnerable and need protecting and watching over quite closely. A crying baby suffering pain will produce a more demanding cry - possibly screaming depending on the nature of the problem, but fright can produce similar effects. You will know when the baby is crying for such reasons. There is no mistaking it as it reaches into your soul for help.

This has not been an extensive list, but if you are new to such events, hopefully this has given you an introduction to solving the problem. If there was one last tip I would give you, it would be to be very patient with them. You may be all they have to help them begin life's path and the only tool they have to help you understand their problem is to cry. How do I know? I have had six of them and have loved them all.