What are the ways/steps to figure out why

[Jalapeñomel]

my newborn is crying?

Is there a method to his madness?

Like do I pick him up, change him, feed him, rock him every single time he cries? Or should I just be changing him and rocking him and wait to see if that works?

[MrsAxilla]

I just read this the other day: Your 3-week-old baby now has different sobs to communicate different needs: short and low-pitched when hungry (accompanied by frantic finger sucking and rooting); intermittent fussiness and whimpering when bored; and continuous and whiny when uncomfortable or overtired.

www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/month-by-month/your-child-week-4.aspx

[Jalapeñomel]

Thank you. I keep waiting for some maternal instinct to kick in so I magically have the answers to all these questions.

[juliahenry]

My technique: Pick up, squish/sniff/peep into diaper, rock gently, watch for chomping, if chomping/nuzzling, attach to boob. Done.





You're doing great! And no matter what, he will manage to get his needs met. Good job, mama!

[Deleted]

And I hate to say it, but around 8 weeks, it was all bets off. We basically tried everything and then started over until we found the right thing. And mine hated wet diapers. So even if I just changed her I'd check again. For awhile I was changing up to 6 diapers an hour. That was fun.

Useful iphone apps for us were Sleep Pillow (she likes the rain sound, but waves are useful to surprise her into stopping crying long enough to realize the rain is playing and now Baby Pillow, she likes the piano songs.

She also like the movements when we did squats and lunges while holding or swinging her. Bonus, I dropped baby weight quickly

[Deleted]

Oct 27, 2013 15:19:27 GMT -5 @letshike said:

Oct 27, 2013 15:13:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

It took me a long time to have any clue what she needed. Sometimes I still can't tell. You're doing great.

Same.

I never could tell the difference between his cries.

Hang in there! You're doing great and it does get easier. :-)

It took me until about 12 weeks. Before that it was all just crying. And I was too tired to notice anything. Especially when she was crying. 

[Deleted]

Oh! And the reassurance I got from here seriously saved my sanity. So much second guessing myself and I was sure it would never end. GBCN promised it would get better and it really did. You CAN do this

[shananagins]

Oct 27, 2013 15:19:27 GMT -5 @letshike said:

Oct 27, 2013 15:13:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

It took me a long time to have any clue what she needed. Sometimes I still can't tell. You're doing great.

Same.

I never could tell the difference between his cries.

Hang in there! You're doing great and it does get easier. :-)

I can only sometimes tell the difference in their cries now as far as hungry, pain, tired etc, but I can rarely tell which one of them is crying. 

[speckledfrog]

I could never tell the difference between his cries. If it was close to good time I would try feeding him first. Otherwise I would try the pacifier and jiggling/walking around with him.

[iamgrace]

Mostly my newborns camped out on my boob. I think that headed a lot of crying off at the pass.

I always did: diaper, boob, rock, sleep

[Deleted]

I started writing everything down. When he ate and how much, what time I changed a diaper and if it was pee or poo, what time he slept and for how long. Every. Thing. This not only helped me figure out why he was crying but eventually I saw a pattern so I could "expect" (lol) what was coming. To some degree.

[ax2]

I just did my best guessing for a few months. If something didn't work, try something else.

You're doing awesome. Try not to forget it!

[Jalapeñomel]

Oct 27, 2013 17:26:09 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I recommend sticking him in a closet. If he's still crying in a little bit, then he probably needs something. Easy peasy!

Wait, um..

Our closet is big enough! And we are trying to get rid of some twin mattresses, so I can just plop him on one of those, right?

[piaffe]

I just watched the Happiest Baby on the block and he goes by the five S's
Swaddle, shhhhh LOUD in his ear, side stomach hold, suck, and swing.

Hope something helps.

[Booze Raccoon]

Trial and error!

In a few short weeks you'll know based on schedule and the sound of the cries.  A hungry cry sounds different than a tired cry which is different than a dirty diaper cry.

I promise, you'll figure it out soon.

[ginger]

Makayla's hungry cry included a cough.

I did NOT figure this out. Dave did on our first night home when I was yelling at him through the monitor that she was dying... lol

[Deleted]

I check Rosie's diaper first. Then I touch her chin or lips...if she's hungry, she opens her mouth really wide and sticks out her tongue a bit. If she doesn't do that, I try to comfort her.

[softspot]

Hang in there. Just look on the bright side once they stop being so needy they become very whiny. Wheeeeee! Parenthood!

[snickers]

Madison will usually make a production of noises prior to needing a diaper change, so I am usually ready and waiting for that cry.

If she is crying out of hunger and I pick her up she will thrash her head to the side or start sucking on any piece of my skin she can find. Sometimes I will place her face by my neck and I know if she's hungry based on if she sucks or not.

When it's a gas pain, she will cry, then be calm, then cry again.

I don't think I have ever considered her crying out of boredom yet.