What Your Baby's Cries Mean

A baby crying will break a mother's heart in an instant. I know this because my five month old sometimes will cry for no reason. Since he can not tell me what he needs, or what is wrong with him I had to interpret his cries on my own. For the most part I have gotten each cry down to a science and now I would like to share my personal expertise with you.

Hunger Cries
Your baby starts to cry at least 3 to 4 hours after their last feeding. The cry is a short, low-pitched cry with a certain consistent rhythm in it. This will usually indicate that your child is hungry and you need to feed him. Also, when this cry occurs he will also show other signs with the cry that will indicate it is feeding time like sucking on their fingers, or reaching for the pacifier. Your best bet for this cry to not occur as often is to try to feed your child at least 10 to 15 minutes before the 3 to 4 hours is up. Time your feedings so you will not have to be caught off guard.

Tired Cries
Your child is starting to cry in a whiny cry that is trying to soothe him or her. This will indicate that he or she is getting tired and will need some help to fall asleep. He or she may also be starting to rub their eyes and trying to bury their head into your shoulder when you hold her. Place his or her head close to your chest with one arm around their back softly tapping their butt. If a pacifier helps, use it, however only keep it in their mouth until they are just about asleep and then remove it. You can always place it back in if he or she wasn't almost asleep.

Wet Diaper, Cold or Warm Cries
When the baby is uncomfortable he or she will let you know with a loud whining cry associated with a lot of body movement. I know my five month old will usually draw his back up when I try to caress him to let me know he either needs a diaper change or he is too warm from his clothing or blankets I have on him.

Boredom Cries
Some babies will play really well by themselves, however their attention spans are not too long. Once they get bored they will start to a fussy cry associated with coos in between the cries. This will indicate that she is ready to move onto something different. If my son is in his bouncy seat for too long of a time, he will start crying this way. I will usually either give him some toys to play with, or pick him up and put him on a pallet so he can stretch out.

Sickness Cries
If you child is sounding stuffy and the cries are congested and weak this usually means your child doesn't feel well. Take your child's temperature, if the fever is low, then give them some medicine that is recommended for their age and symptoms. If your child is running a fever the cry may be weaker because his or her strength is not up to par to create a large cry. Give him or her some Tylenol appropriate for his or her age and weight range and call the doctor to see what else you should do. Sometimes when my child feels under the weather and this crying starts, if he doesn't have a fever I will give him a warm bath and caress him.

In-Pain Cries
When your child starts crying in a loud, long and high-pitched cry, this usually indicates he or she is in extreme pain. The pain can range anywhere from gas on the tummy, a cold coming on, or even a tooth trying to break through. First make sure you have changed their diaper, fed them, and if they have a fever give them their Tylenol. If none of this works, try giving them gas medicine, if he or she starts to pass the gas then the crying will start to taper off. If the crying still is strong after a half an hour after the gas medicine and he or she is trying to teeth, then use baby orajel. If the crying is still strong as when it first began, then call the doctor immediately!

I used my personal experience with my five month old when it comes to telling what his cries mean, however each baby will be different in his or her cries. The best thing a mother can do is listen to your gut. If you think a certain cry means something then try fixing the cry with what will soothe the cry. A mother's instinct is more powerful then any thing in the world.