It is not always easy to know why a baby cries.

First-time parents, especially find it difficult to understand why their newborn is crying.

Crying, really is the only way of communication for babies. All babies cry at times, which is normal as they express their emotions of hunger, pain, anger and fear.

Often times adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.

# 1: Hunger

Hunger is the most common reason that makes a baby cry. For the first few days after birth your baby may cry more frequently because of insufficient milk supply.

If you’re not sure whether your baby is hungry, try to feed him and see what happens. If he takes a little milk then refuses more, hunger is unlikely to be the main cause for his crying.

#2: Dirty diaper

Irritability due to soiled diapers is another common reason that is probably making your baby cry.

Some babies don’t like the feeling of a wet or soiled diaper on their skin.

To stop your baby’s crying simply remove the wet diaper and your baby will be happy again.

#3: Tiredness

Babies need more sleep than you may realise. Too much excitement and stimulation can sometimes overtire a baby, making him irritable and unable to sleep.

Newborns often sleep up to 16 hours a day. Some newborns sleep even more.

Try putting your baby down in a quiet, darkened room and leave him for a few minutes, even if he’s crying, to see if he will settle and go off to sleep.

#4: Heat or cold

Babies can feel uncomfortably hot or cold, just as older children and adults do.

A baby who’s too hot is likely to be uncomfortable. The same goes for a baby who’s too cold.

You can check to see if your baby is feeling too hot by touching his or her tummy. Add or remove a layer of clothing as needed.

#5: Comfort

If a baby is crying because he wants to be held, picking him up and cuddling him will quickly stop the tears.

#6: Colic

Colic is crying in a baby that lasts for longer than 3 hours a day and is not caused by a medical problem. Colic usually affects babies beginning at about 3 weeks of age. It peaks somewhere between 4 – 6 weeks of age.

Learn the signs of colic and what you can do about it here.

#7: Parent’s mood

You may find this hard to believe but a mother’s mood and feelings may also affect how much her baby cries.

Mothers who feel low, depressed, anxious, exhausted or angry, who have relationship problems with their spouses, or who feel strongly rejected by their baby’s crying are more likely to have a baby who cries excessively.

A father’s feelings may also have an effect. For example, one study in Sweden found that fathers who described their child’s birth as upsetting or distressing in some way were more likely to have a baby who cried excessively in the first few months of life.

Excessive crying?

While crying is normal for a baby, excessive inconsolable cry or not crying at all can be a sign of sick baby.

If your baby is sick, there will probably be other signs such as a temperature, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhoea, drowsiness, breathing difficulty, a rash or not being interested in eating.

If you think your baby may be sick, please contact your doctor.