Why Is My Baby Crying?

The most common reason parents bring in a baby under 6 months is crying.

Prolonged crying makes parents anxious, especially when the baby won’t settle with the soothing methods that used to work.

Sometimes it really is hard to tell whether a baby is crying because of something serious or because of other, harmless reasons. In cases where a mother can’t work out why her baby is crying, she should see a pediatrician, who — based on the history, a basic examination and the presence of any red flags — will either rule out an illness or confirm it.

What counts as normal crying in a baby

Let’s start by defining what normal crying in a baby looks like:

During the first three months of life, babies cry on average between 68 and 133 minutes a day (yes — almost 2.5 hours of crying a day is completely normal). Crying peaks during the first six weeks of life and decreases after eight to nine weeks. All babies cry more during the first three months of life than at any other time.

Keeping this fact in mind, we can reassure mom that this phase usually ends by around 3–4 months.

As a rule, babies cry for only a handful of reasons, and a mother who is with her baby all the time can already tell what her baby wants even from the sound of the cry:

1. Hunger

In the first month babies feed on demand; after that a routine usually settles in and they want to eat every 2–3 hours. The simplest, most logical thing to do here is to offer the breast or formula (if the baby is formula-fed).

It’s important to know that crying from hunger is already a late sign of hunger. Before crying, babies give early hunger cues: the baby starts to stir; turns their head from side to side searching; roots for the breast; smacks their lips and purses them; sucks on their fingers or on anything within reach.

If these cues are missed, the baby starts to cry. Try to notice these early hunger cues so you can feed your baby in time, before the crying starts.

2. Discomfort

Check the baby’s diaper — it may be dirty; if not, look at whether clothing labels are digging into the baby’s skin or chafing anywhere, including around the diaper.

Or the baby may have been swaddled too tightly — make sure nothing is bothering them.

3. Too cold or too hot

Don’t overdress your baby — dress them as you dress yourself, or with 1 extra layer of clothing compared with yourself.

To check whether your baby is too hot or too cold, feel the skin on their chest, the back of the neck or between the shoulder blades. If it’s sweaty and hot, the baby is too warm — and vice versa.

A cold or warm nose and hands or feet are not reliable signs that a baby is cold or hot.

If your baby is too hot, take off a layer; if too cold, add one. You can tell a baby is cold from shivering and a bluish tinge around the mouth (the nasolabial triangle).

4. Tiredness

Newborns sleep a lot — about 16 hours a day or more. A tired baby who wants to sleep may cry, so try putting your baby down for a nap.

5. The baby is overstimulated by their surroundings

Too much light and noise can overload a baby’s nervous system — move the baby to a calm setting, and you can turn on white noise.

If the baby is in a lounger/bouncer/swing, it may have overwhelmed them — put the baby in the crib or hold them in your arms.

6. The baby is bored

Babies need frequent contact with mom and dad — it gives them a sense of security, so try picking your baby up. Babies may also cry because they haven’t satisfied their sucking reflex, so you can offer the breast or a pacifier.

7. Infant colic or the period of PURPLE crying

Many babies between 3 weeks and 3 months of age develop colic-related crying. Colic is a normal part of development that can be triggered by many factors.

It usually happens in the late afternoon or evening. We’ll discuss it in more detail in another post.

8. Pain

When everything above has been ruled out, the baby may be in pain and you should see a doctor. Common causes of pain in babies are tummy pain, ear pain and pain when urinating.

Tummy pain can be caused by gas, but it can also be a sign of an acute surgical condition.

So what should you do when your baby cries?

Pick your baby up and talk to them; if that doesn’t help, offer the breast; if the baby won’t take the breast, check them over — look at the diaper, any changes on the skin, whether the baby is too hot or too cold; if not, make sure there isn’t too much noise, light or wind, or other things overstimulating the baby; and if everything is fine, try putting the baby down to sleep.

If none of this helps you work out why your baby is crying, they may have colic — how to cope with it will be covered in the next post.

If colic has been ruled out, or there are red flags — the baby is crying differently than usual, there is vomiting, the amount or frequency of spit-ups has increased, blood in the stool, fever, a hard, tense tummy, diarrhea, a rash, the baby cries when urinating, difficulty breathing, the baby tugs at their ears, or there are other signs of illness — see a doctor immediately.