Babies, being unable to talk during their early developmental years, use crying as a means to communicate. The incomprehensible language expresses a need that can mean anything such as being hungry, in distress, or a means to seek attention. Babies will stop crying once their parents or guardians attend to their needs.

As with adults, infants have different personalities. Others tend to cry more because they are in need of more help. Excessive crying may mean that your baby is not content or have needs that may have been missed or recognized. There are, however, a few things you can do to soothe your crying baby.

Baby Cries all the Time—Is It Normal?

Crying, being a tool for communication, is normal. However, too much of anything can alarm parents. If your baby cries all the time, you might have asked at one point whether it is normal for them to do so.

Experts state that it is normal given the infant is deemed healthy by a pediatrician. Although infants only cry to tell parents their need, their cries may be different according to the distress they are in. Some cries send a feeling that something is not right on the baby, which is a signal for a check-up.

The Crying Curve

Research claims crying follows a crying curve. A crying curve is a concept that describes crying as part of the developmental pattern, which is usually present during the infant’s first months. Infants tend to increase crying within the first two to three weeks. Cries will then peak around their sixth to eighth week. After the peak period, babies will decrease their crying right up to their fourth month. Daily crying schedule may indicate more crying during the late afternoon or evening. According to studies, this is the time when infants release the tension after a long day.

Is Your Baby Colicky?

One of the other common causes of infant discomfort is colic. Colic is the term that generally defines uncontrollable crying on healthy babies. Signs of a colicky baby can be spotted on infants less than five months old and cry for three hours, which is observed to occur on three days or more in a week.

Contrary to popular opinion, colic is not a disease and will not pose any health problems to infants. Nevertheless, the crying spells can be stressful for both babies and parents. Luckily, colic is a temporary condition and infants will outgrow it as they develop.

Baby Cries all the Time—How to Soothe Your Baby

A crying baby should not be left unattended because they need comforting to feel secure that their needs are being met. If your baby cries all the time, here are some tips to soothe your baby and keep him from crying:

1. Talk to Your Baby

Crying is not always a sign of distress. In some cases, your infant may just want to know that you are there. Ask or talk to your baby as hearing your voice might calm him down.

2. Check His Basic Needs

Usually, a baby cries to call your attention about his needs: does his diaper need changing? Is he hungry or in pain? Some babies cry because they are uncomfortable in their current position or may just need a cuddle. Your baby’s cry may be different depending on his needs. It may be challenging to distinguish which need your baby is communicating but you will learn these cues as you spend time more time with your infant.

Aside from crying, observe several action cues that your baby does for comfort. For example, thumb sucking on the onset of crying is usually a sign of hunger. Observe these signs and you will be able to deal with it in the long run.

3. Move Your Baby

Some babies do not want to stay put in one location or position for a long time. They cry to call their parents’ attention to change their position or if they want to be cradled or cuddled. Lift your baby up from his crib and you might notice he will calm down immediately.

4. Massage Your Baby

Gas is a common cause of discomfort among infants, but a gentle belly rub will soothe your baby’s tummy. Furthermore, your baby’s psyche will be rejuvenated with your gentle hands touching his body. To add more comfort, you can place your baby on your lap while massaging or let him lie down and rub his back. It de-stresses your baby and will calm him down. Watch the following video for tips on how to massage your baby.

5. Play Music

Similarly with adults, a soothing music like the ones you used to listen to during pregnancy can be helpful in calming them down. Numerous infants reported to stop crying after hearing music. Take note of the music to your infant’s liking as some studies show some babies respond positively on rock music.

6. Identify the Stimuli

After checking for possible basic needs like feeding or diaper change, you might see that your baby does not need any of those. A good step to follow is to identify several stimuli that may be alarming your baby. Examples of these are loud noises or excessively bright light. A stranger can make your infant anxious. Check these causes and prevent them from affecting your infant to keep him from crying.

7. Give Him a Pacifier

A pacifier is the ultimate comforting toy for infants. Give him a pacifier to suck on as it may stop his crying. If your baby wants to suck his thumb, gently place his thumb or finger near his mouth and let him take comfort through sucking.

Possible Reasons for Your Baby’s Crying

Babies have multitudes of reasons to cry. It would be best for you to spot their needs to provide immediate comfort. The following are some of the causes and descriptions.

Possible Causes	Description
Hunger	It is a common cause of crying. Some signs include lip smacking, fussing, thumb sucking, or rooting, a reflex that causes your infant to move their head towards the thing that touches his cheek.
Dirty Diaper	Babies who need changing may alert you immediately if they need one. On the other hand, some infants may tolerate it longer.
Wants to Sleep	Contrary to common knowledge, some infants find it difficult to sleep despite exhaustion. It may be the opposite. Excessive stress or exhaustion may keep them from sleeping and result to crying. This reason is often mistaken to other causes, but time will help you identify it sooner.
Needs to Be Held	Babies love cuddling because they want their parents to be with them at all times. They want to feel their warmth, hear their voices, or smell their parents’ scent. Crying means they want to be cuddled or cradled.
Stomach Problems	A gas problem, which is also referred to as colic, cause infants to cry due to discomfort. Babies may fuss after feeding due to the changes occurring in their digestive system brought by food. A little massage will help while other parents obtain anti-gas drop for babies.
Needs to Burp	Similar with gas problems, a need to burp after feeding can make a baby cry. Infants swallow air during breastfeeding or bottle feeding. This air will be stuck in their tummies and cause discomfort.
Feels Cold/ Hot	Changes in temperature can be alarming for infants, especially when temperature becomes colder. Infants love warmth and they will cry when they feel chilly.
Teething	Teething is painful because the new tooth is growing out of its gums.
Feeling Unwell	Some babies still cry despite doing all the basic soothing procedures. This can be a sign of possible illness that calls for pediatrician’s attention.