Common baby behaviors: crying

Babies are born with the ability to cry. For a baby, crying is the basic way of communicating with his/her environment and conveying that he/she is hungry, tired, uncomfortable, in pain, but also that he/she needs tenderness, company or comfort.

The baby's crying changes as he/she grows. On average, young babies cry for up to three hours a day, and 1 out of 10 babies for even longer. Babies aged 6-8 weeks cry most, and as they grow, the amount of crying should decrease. Before the sixth month, babies will cry most intensely in the late afternoon and evening. It may be comforting to know that this kind of crying usually stops by the fifth month of the baby's life. As the baby grows, crying will occur throughout the day, but will be shorter and less intense and will mostly be related to something the baby wants to tell you.

What to do when a baby cries? The first thing you can do is to check if he/she is hungry, tired or uncomfortable. Then it will be easy to respond to crying: you will feed him/her, put him/her to sleep or change his/her diaper. Here are a few more things you can do:

  • Gently rock your baby. Tender movements and closeness to the parents can have a calming effect.
  • Go for a walk with your baby (if you're not too tired for that).
  • Bathe the baby or massage him/her gently. Touch and massage can be soothing and strengthen the bond between you. Ask your health visitor how to safely massage your baby.
  • Talk to your baby softly, sing to him/her or play quiet music while rocking or cuddling him/her. Sometimes noises and sounds of appliances such as hair dryers or vacuum cleaners can calm the baby.
  • Calm your baby by reducing stimulation - dim the lights, for example.

A baby's crying can be very distressing for parents and they may feel scared, angry or stressed. Try to find time to walk, read a book, enjoy exercising or bathing - at least briefly. When your baby is crying and you feel that you can't take it anymore, put the baby in a safe place and leave the room. Never shake the baby - it can lead to dangerous brain injuries.

Seek help and talk openly about your feelings. Although it is important to believe that you are doing everything you can and that crying will pass, when babies cry for a long time and intensely, many parents will feel tired and nervous. It is, therefore, important to seek advice and talk about what you are experiencing and how you are reacting.