Why is the baby crying?

A question, which has rankled, bewildered, stumped, mystified, perplexed and harassed many a new mothers and fathers, is “why is the baby crying?” Many parents will identify sleepless nights, hours of agony, and lots of hair pulling (their own, of course) as they battle with the “crying baby” syndrome.A crying baby can be quite tiresome as it can keep the people around it on their toes, trying to figure out what it needs now! Well, to be quite fair to the baby, it generally cries only when it wants or needs something. So, the least we can do is find out what that is!The answer to the question may not be all that difficult to find really, if you go about it in a rational and logical manner. You need to adopt a more systematic approach towards solving the problem. Here are certain guidelines that you can adopt to reach at the right conclusion.

1.Calm down yourself: First and foremost you need to be calm yourself if you are to be any help in calming the baby! Don’t start getting all hyper, the moment the baby starts wailing.

2.Baby is hungry:the most common cause for its crying could be simply because of hunger. Ask yourself, when did I last feed the baby? Was it less than an hour ago or more than that. If your answer is more than one hour then, maybe you need to feed it again. If that is not the case then go to the next step.

3.Baby has soiled the diaper:Check the diaper to see if it is wet or soiled. If so, then change the diaper. That should take care of the problem, for the moment, we hope so! If this is also not the case then proceed to next.

4.Baby has some discomfort:Now this could be a real tricky one. You need to be able to find out what kind of discomfort the baby has.

    a.Stomach ache or gas problem: This occurs most commonly in babies after feeding milk. The baby needs to be “burped” every time after a feed. If you have forgotten to do it then do so now. Pick up the baby to your shoulder and pat it on its back with slight pressure upwards to help the baby to burp. Once the baby has burped, it has instant relief!

    b.Insects, flies, bugs, ants biting the baby: If you have ruled all of the above criteria quite quickly then consider this. In India, specially, there could be these factors to rule out. Provide a clean and bug free bed to the baby.

    c.Loud noises, sudden movements, dark room or shadows: The baby can be rattled if it perceives any threat to itself by a sudden movement or loud noises or even darkness or shadows etc. so, make sure that you comfort the baby and provide adequate security to it. Make sure that your baby knows that you are around and will come to its aid quickly. Don’t leave the baby unattended alone for long period of time. (Especially when it is awake).

    d.Baby is sick? Is the baby sick with cold or fever? If you feel that it is then go to the doctor immediately and get treatment.

    e.Has the baby hurt itself? You need to make sure that everything in the baby’s immediate surrounding is smooth and soft, as rough edges or sharp things can hurt the baby!

5.Last but not the least:Sometimes the baby may cry for no apparent rhyme or reason. It just wants to cry! Like you know…… it just feels like having a good bawl……….! In that case , I guess there’s nothing much you can do but wait till it has had his fill….! This can be quite exasperating as this usually seems to occur at night around bedtime. One very simple and yet very effective remedy for this is take out your car and take the baby for a long drive round the block! I know it sounds ridiculous. But, believe me I’ve done it a dozen times and it works like magic. The baby will fall asleep in the car! All the best.......