I never really thought about crying as a language when my son was a baby. Yet, when he cried, I usually tended to the actual need, suggesting I could tell the difference between a hungry cry and a sick cry. Maybe I got lucky and didn’t think too much about the cries; I knew he had a schedule that he often followed, from hunger to dirty diapers to sleeping.
Mom of two Morgan Price thinks that babies definitely use their cries to signal their needs. “I believe that skin-to-skin contact from day one helps moms to be in tune with their babies and that they will soon learn to distinguish the cries as they grow in relationship with their baby,” Price told Mom.com. “I was able to distinguish the cries of both my babies within a week or two of caring for them around the clock.”
Sometimes moms just don’t get that quality bonding time with their baby for a number of reasons; if you are trying to decipher what your baby’s cries mean, here are some insights.
What your newborn's cries might mean
Is that cry something serious? When to call the doctor
Sometimes a baby’s cries may signal that something more serious is going on. If your baby is crying and it’s not because of any of the reasons mentioned above, or if nothing soothes her or she has other symptoms — you may need to call the doctor. Symptoms that warrant a doctor’s call include:
- Very weak
- Has a fever
- Has a swollen soft spot or scrotum
- Vomits
- Cries when being held or touched
- Cries for more than two hours
- Drinks little or nothing for more than eight hours
These could be symptoms that something else is wrong with your baby, and consulting a doctor is the best bet.
