Can you Understand Newborn Baby Cries?

*This post is written in collaboration with Care

When we first became parents I had no idea what our new baby’s cries meant. Hubby and I would go through a cycle of feed, wind, change, cuddle and then repeat until something worked and the crying subsided. With Little Man, our second baby, things were harder as he seemed to just cry all day and night for months.

Arriving home from hospital with a newborn is a daunting experience for any new parent – especially when the baby starts crying in a tone you don’t recognise. But the leading healthcare brand, Care, and qualified midwife and independent health visitor, Penny Lazellare, have passed on their advice to help you comfort your little one.

Here are the top nine reasons your baby might cry and what to do in each situation:

– Hunger

“Young babies’ brains are not developed enough to anticipate hunger”, says Penny. “Therefore when they realise they’re hungry, a message goes directly to the brain to alert the baby to let their carer know they need feeding. This can happen very quickly and the force and escalation of the cry often catches parents out and can be quite worrying.”

What to do: “If your baby has not been fed for 2- 4 hours then they may be hungry. If they are soothed immediately by a breast or bottle then that’s probably what they were trying to tell you. Over time, babies will learn to regulate their feeds and often manage to have longer gaps in between, which will help you anticipate when the feed is due and reduce crying.”

– Wet or dirty nappy

“All babies are different so some don’t mind a slightly dirty nappy while others will cry as soon as it has been filled”, explains Penny. “Often babies will open their bowels straight after feeding so if they start to cry after a feed, it may be that they have a dirty nappy.”

What to do: “A cry for a wet or dirty nappy is often mistaken for them still being hungry. Try to change your baby’s nappy frequently to avoid distress.”

– Tiredness

“Your baby yawning, rubbing their eyes, becoming fidgety, or disengaging are all signs of tiredness”, reveals Penny. “Once a baby becomes overtired, they find it really difficult to calm down again. This often causes anxiety for the parent and in turn the baby picks up on this and is even less likely to calm down.”

What to do: “A change of environment or someone different soothing the baby may help”, recommends Penny. “Or sometimes just allowing your baby to start using their own self- regulation; placing them in their cot with you nearby may actually give them permission to fall asleep.”

– Pain

“Cries from pain can be quite frightening and are often very different to those of hunger or tiredness”, says Penny. “They tend to be more high pitched and have quite a sudden onset.”

What to do: “Trust your gut instinct. If you think your baby’s cry is one of pain, take their temperature and check them over. It may just be that a piece of clothing is tight or they are in an uncomfortable position. If the cry continues seek medical advice.”

– Boredom

“The brains of young babies are wired to crave attention so they can start to learn about the world. For this reason they become bored very quickly and will often alert you on a regular basis that they want you”, explains Penny. “Although this can mean you find little time to get things done, it is very important to respond to these cries to ensure your baby’s brain develops.”

What to do: “Babies learn from you so try to set aside time to provide short periods of stimulating activities. This could just be talking to them or singing. They love your voice and eye contact. Try to avoid putting them in front of a TV. Even watching you hang the washing out is fun for them even if not for you!”

– Over stimulation

“This can be as hard to deal with as boredom. Babies’ brains are like sponges but can only take so much at a time. An over stimulated baby will become very fretful and can be difficult to settle which may be mistaken for many other things.”

What to do: “If your baby appears to be fretful and isn’t settling with rocking or cuddling, try taking them to a quiet low lit room and just hold them still, gently sshshhing and talking to them. It may take a little while to settle them but stick with it.”

– Wanting a cuddle

“Babies have emotional needs and having spent nine months tucked up in a nice cosy womb feeling secure, they can often feel a little lost when out in the big wide world”, adds Penny. “Cuddling babies is important for their emotional development and for growing their ability to self-regulate themselves.”

What to do: “Don’t be afraid to cuddle your baby. It will not make them clingy, in fact, it will help them become more independent.”

– Being too hot or too cold

“Babies have immature temperature regulation which means parents have to regulate it for them”, recommends Penny. “Babies lose heat from their heads so you should leave this uncovered. If a baby looks red with their crying it may be that they are too hot.”

What to do: “Start by removing a layer of clothing from your baby. You may also need to check their temperature to see if they are hot due to a fever. Equally babies may alert you to being cold by crying. Try to remember to always be aware that this may be a reason for their crying.”

– Transient Lactase Deficiency

The available evidence states that the immature digestive system of babies can struggle making enough lactase to digest the lactose (a natural milk sugar found in breast and formula milk) in their feed, which can induce colicky symptoms. This is called Transient Lactase Deficiency. Guidelines from both the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the NHS Choices website suggest that Transient Lactase Deficiency could be an underlying cause of infantile colic, and that a one week trial of a Lactase Enzyme Drop is worth a try in colicky infants.

“Transient Lactase Deficiency is a common occurrence in young babies”, says Penny. “It can make them very uncomfortable and difficult to settle, which can lead to increased stress for both baby and parent.”

What to do: “Introducing a lactase enzyme drop with feeds can often resolve the problem without having to move to or change formula.”

Looking back, we definitely went through this with Little Man. He would often cry for long periods, especially after feeding. Something like Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops could have really helped us as they are designed to reduce lactose content in milk, making digesting lactose easier for the baby without delaying the feeding process. The drops can be used from birth and can be added to breast milk or infant formula prior to feeding. We would have had to shift to expressed feeds for a while but it’s something I would have happily tried – as when you have a crying baby you will try anything to make them happy again.

Unlike other products, Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops allow the baby to be fed immediately – rather than having to wait half an hour for the drops to take effect – half an hour that is often such a long time when you have an inconsolable, hungry baby to deal with.

Care Co-Lactase Infant Drops are priced at £9.99 for 60 feeds and are available from Asda. You can find out more about the drops on their website.