Aw, You Poor Baby!

10 reasons babies cry and how to soothe them.

As if being a new mum didn’t involve enough hard work and cries for help, it constantly seems as though baby is onto us. During the earlier years, there isn’t really that much babies can do, so crying always seems to be at the top of their task list. Here’s why baby might be crying and – most importantly – what to do about it:

1 Hungry: This is the number one reason most of us adults cry (we think) and the first thing you think of when baby starts.

Solution? Recognise the signs of hunger before baby starts crying so you can feed them. Fussiness, lip smacking and putting their hands to their mouth can all indicate that baby wants to be fed.

2 Tired: If a baby is too tired, they may have trouble sleeping.

Solution? If overtired, they may stare blankly into space, go quiet or whine over the slightest thing. Help your child by teaching them how to soothe themselves to sleep.

3 Colic: It often feels like baby can cry for hours and hours for no particular reason. Colic is the persistent crying of an otherwise healthy baby.