When Your Baby Cries

Your baby cries and the world around you dims. You know that baby

wants to tell you something. But what? Clearly, the cry is a multi-
functional tool for baby to get what she needs. Besides crying when
hungry, baby plays the blues when she is tired, wet, sick, bored,
frustrated, out of the routine, fed too often or sometimes simply because
that is what normal, healthy babies do.
While it won’t make you feel any better, it is reassuring to know that
the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes crying as a natural part
of a baby’s day. From their complete and authoritative guide for infant
care we read: “All babies cry, often without any apparent cause.
Newborns routinely cry a total of one to four hours a day.... No mother
can console her child every time he cries, so don’t expect to be a miracle
worker with your baby. Pay close attention to your baby’s different cries
and you’ll soon be able to tell when he needs to be picked up, consoled,

or tended to, and when he is better off left alone.”^1
Think of crying as a signal, not a statement against your parenting. As
mom or dad, learn to assess your baby’s cry so you can respond properly.
The ability to read your baby’s cry will give you confidence in parenting.
But what are those cues?
In early infancy, crying is an intuitive way of communicating both
need and displeasure. The hunger cry is different from the sick cry. The
sleepy cry is different from the “cuddle me” cry. And the distress cry
differs from the demanding cry. Crying varies in volume, too. Sometimes
a cry will be nothing more than a gentle whimper. Other times it is a
violent protest. Attempts to minimize or block all crying can easily
increase stress rather than decrease it. Emotional tears actually eliminate