How do I find out why my baby is screaming so much?

A question that all new mothers ask themselves is: “Why is my baby crying?” It is quite normal that as a mom you feel sorry for when the baby is born and crying. After all, the last few months have only revolved around the baby. You protected it as best you could, paid attention to your diet, rested and helped him to come into the world. Why is it crying so much now?!

Crying is your baby’s language. So you basically don’t have to worry if it cries. Not even if it screams a lot. Your baby must first learn to regulate himself. It has to process all the impressions that pour on it all day. In addition, it learns to understand that you are also with him when it is not on your arm. After nine months of security and warmth in your stomach, this world can feel quite big and cool. So it’s best to learn to interpret your baby’s crying as soon as possible.

The five types of crying

Rarely does crying from a baby really mean something serious like pain. Midwives and doctors have divided crying into five common categories that you can soon distinguish with a little patience and practice.

• The baby is crying because he is hungry!
• The baby is crying because he is tired!
• The baby cries because he is too warm or too cold!
• The baby cries because he is bored or because he is overstimulated!
• The baby is crying because something hurts him!

You can react differently to these types of screaming. For example, if the baby cries because he is in pain, sometimes he just needs a fresh diaper. Maybe it has a sore popo and therefore has pain.

Over time, you learn to interpret this screaming and to deal with it in a targeted manner. Some mothers learn this quite quickly, others take a little longer. There are babies who cry little and others who cry a lot. This is quite normal and no need to worry.

The most important thing for your baby is that you are there. If you don’t know why it’s crying, just pick it up and try to calm it down. This is how you show your baby that he is not alone with his discomfort.

How much screaming is normal?

Each baby screams differently. This is related to his mind, but also to factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, the environment in which he lives and much more. As a rough direction to orient yourself to: in the first six weeks of life, a baby screams an average of one to two hours a day. Until the 16. Life week it probably screams more, which can be up to three hours a day. After this time, the screaming is usually significantly reduced.

How do I know the reason for the screaming?

Hunger

If your baby is crying because he is hungry, it is quite easy to recognize. It turns its head to the side, sucks its fist or makes smacking noises. A “hunger cry” usually begins tentatively with a whining. It then becomes increasingly stronger and ends in an agonizing and loud screaming. It is best to recognize the signs of “hunger crying” early, because if your baby screams properly, he will find it very difficult to drink on your chest. It then becomes hectic and swallows too much air. If you are unsure in the first few weeks, you can put your baby on the breast once too much rather than too little. It will not be spoiled by this!

Fatigue

Fatigue is also quite easy to recognize. Your baby turns his head away while playing, only reacts more slowly, rubs his eyes, yawns or rows his arms. Again, it is important to react quickly, because an overtired baby can easily yell in and then find it difficult to get to sleep. Fixed sleep times are best. A diary can help you with this. In the first few weeks, write down when your baby was tired, what you noticed and how long he slept. So you can soon realize when your baby should sleep best and you avoid screaming because of fatigue.

Heat/Cold

If your baby screams with a bibbing upper lip, it’s a clear sign that he’s freezing. Some babies quickly look slightly bluish. Others get ice-cold hands. If your baby is too warm, this is usually shown by red cheeks and a tired-sounding cry. A simple trick is to put your hand in the baby’s neck. If it is very warm and sweaty there, you have to wear it less. If it is very cool in the neck or hands, it needs a blanket.

Boredom/overstimulation

Overstimulated babies turn their heads away while playing. They only cry when you ignore the signs. This can be triggered by too much tumult, volume, colorful lights or other stimuli. Then just take your baby to a quiet room and let him relax. Sometimes a cuddle session with mom helps, but without further stimuli.

If your baby is bored, he usually whines with small breaks in between. It wants to be busy. But you don’t have to offer him many stimuli. A little singing or telling is usually enough for your baby at first.

Ache

Pain screams are shrill and you recognize them easily. Often your baby turns red in the face and clenches his fists. It cramps its legs or gets a hard stomach. But most of the time the pain is quite harmless, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you. An abdominal massage can help with flatulence. Sometimes the clothes sit too close to the stomach or the popo is sore. If you are unsure, you can always consult your midwife or pediatrician.