Baby's cries are the first means of expression. As parents, you can quickly find yourself destabilizing. The return home is not without some anxiety and little by little, you take your marks. Finding your bearings also means getting to know your infant and understanding his crying. Let it be said, the first few months are not easy!
To enlighten you, today we help you understand and calm your baby's crying ! We also present in this article the Massage and Care Oil to soothe your baby.
Why is baby crying?
During childbirth, we often expect the baby's first cry like the Messiah: if the baby cries, the baby is fine! Only here, once this reassuring moment has passed, the crying of the newborn is more perceived by mums and dads as excessive, annoying, tiring and incomprehensible. How do you know if he's crying because he's hungry? because he is tired? Or because he needs hugs? Or because his diaper is full or he has pain somewhere? If it can reassure you: there is no universal rule to soothe infant crying! Of course, the best thing is to follow your instincts to try to understand his crying, but sometimes, after trying everything, you don't really know what to do...
Know that during the first months of his life, the cries of the infant will increase , to know a peak around 4 months, then to calm down. Intense, inconsolable and sometimes comparable to cries rather than tears, young parents are often without solutions to soothe their baby...
The different cries of the baby and the causes
Just like you, your baby experiences different emotions during the day : hunger, fear, fatigue, annoyance, etc. To express his needs, he uses the only means of communication he has: crying! Know that it is estimated that less than 5% of babies cry express a medical problem . It is therefore very likely that he is just trying to send you a message! Some pediatricians think babies cry differently depending on their needs:
- if he is hungry, the crying will increase in intensity
- if he is bored, the crying will be short and not very intense
- if your baby is in pain (reflux, poor digestion, poor position, etc.), the crying will be intense and resemble cries.
As new parents, you are in the best position to understand your baby's crying. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, you will eventually decode the different cries and get him what he needs.
Contrary to popular belief, taking him in your arms to calm and soothe him will in no way cause him to develop bad habits! On the contrary, when they are still babies, children have no awareness of the passage of time. 10 minutes can therefore seem like an eternity for them! Responding quickly to a crying baby will give him a sense of confidence and avoid sobbing and panic. Also know that the crying of the baby is in no way a whim or a sign of bad temper .
When to worry about baby crying?
Of course, sometimes crying can also announce a deeper problem. If you see that your baby is crying more than 3 hours a day and more than 3 days a week , you can go to your pediatrician. He will probably tell you that your baby has colic (repeated crying attacks). These colic can be due to milk (too rich in lactose or simply intolerance), to the immaturity of his digestive system or to the presence of intestinal gas. In this case, some other signs are to be taken into account:
- he seems to be in pain
- he loses weight or he gains little
- Your baby is very constipated or has diarrhea
- he is feverish (from 38°)
- he has a rash.
If all these symptoms accumulate or you notice a few, do not wait and make an appointment with your pediatrician.
How to calm baby crying?
There is no good technique to calm baby crying! The right solution to soothe the child's sobs will be the one that meets his needs at a certain time. Before going into more detail, we wanted to give you a little reminder: being exhausted after a few hours of crying is completely normal! The fatigue and anxiety that a baby's repetitive crying can cause should not be overlooked... It is important to know how to pass the baton to the person accompanying you in order to avoid any irreversible actions (shaken baby for example). You should also know that there are support numbers for young parents (like Allo Parents Bébé ) and that you can also ask your friends and family for help! Having a crying newborn can be an intense ordeal for new parents, get help if you feel the need.
Soothe baby with simple gestures
At the beginning of his life, your child will eat every two to three hours! If he's crying and writhing his stomach, it's probably time for the next feeding or the next bottle. Do not hesitate to have skin-to-skin contact with your baby during breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Once sated, wait until he burps to avoid reflux, stomach aches and therefore discomfort.
Checking your baby's diaper when he cries is also one of the first things to do! And yes, when the diaper is full, the child is uncomfortable and makes it understood by crying. If you notice redness at the level of the seat, do not hesitate to apply a diaper cream! Diaper rashes are very common and can lead to discomfort and crying.
Last thing to check when baby cries: his level of fatigue! Does he rub his eyes? Is he looking for his pacifier, his thumb or his comforter? If so, it's probably tears of fatigue . Be aware that it is very common for little ones to cry when it's time to sleep. These tears are discharge tears ! Your baby evacuates all the emotions he has experienced during the day by crying so that he can sleep peacefully. If he has trouble drifting off to sleep, you can rock him in your arms. You can also rock it in a pram or stroller!
Your baby may also cry while sleeping! In this case, wait to see if he wakes up. If he does not wake up, he is between two phases of sleep!
Reassure baby to calm his crying
And yes, who says newborn does not necessarily say calm! An angry and agitated baby is possible. Especially if he is bored or in a position that does not suit him. Many young children don't like being put on the floor on a rug. They need to be able to follow the adult with their gaze and feel them close to them. The solution ? The baby carrier ! Glued against you, your child will be reassured by your contact but also by your smell. Placed in the baby carrier, he follows your movements and this reminds him of his in-utero life, a peaceful moment for him!
Soothing crying babies can also be done with music . Music listened to during pregnancy, nursery rhymes or just soft music could calm him down!
Crying can also occur when entering guard mode. Your baby no longer feels or sees you as much, he is anxious and may cry. To help him, don't hesitate to leave him photos of you or even a comforter with your scent ! These little things will allow him to be reassured and to feel more secure.
Of course, talking plays an important role in calming the crying! The voice of young parents is always something reassuring for a newborn. Don't forget that for nine months he heard you talk, laugh and sing. So now that he's here talk to him! If he doesn't like changing or bath time, explain to him in your own words what you're doing. He hears you, he listens to you and he understands you!
Massage to calm a crying baby
Just like us, the massage does a lot of good for the baby ! It can help with colic, if he is constipated, has a stomach ache, is tense or stressed, or has trouble falling asleep.
In short, massage is a great way to calm baby's crying and give him a moment of peace and relaxation! Not to mention the wonderful bond you will create with him.
Massage and Care Oil from Téane Laboratories is perfect for massaging your child. Certified organic, it nourishes infants' fragile skin and protects it against dehydration! It is also ideal before the bath to protect the skin from hard water and soap. Without greasy and non-sticky finish, you can use it to massage your baby before bedtime to help him relax his muscles and fall into the arms of Morpheus!
Deciphering your baby's cries is never easy and there is no clear and precise answer to soothe them! Remember to always check that your baby is not hungry, that his diaper is clean and that he is not tired.
If the crying does not calm down, do not hesitate to soothe it by reassuring it with music, words, a massage or simply a good hug!
