A newborn’s crying doesn’t automatically mean tummy pain

 There can be several reasons why newborns cry, but it is not always just a sore tummy or hunger, as most mothers think. It is important to realize that crying is the only means of communication for a baby between you, and therefore we should not ignore it. So why do little babies cry?

Mommy, I'm hungry

Without a doubt, a baby will always let you know when it is hungry, there is no question about that. At first it may be hungry more often than every 3 hours, as is usual. It depends on how well the baby latches onto the mother's breast, whether it falls asleep at the breast too soon, or whether it is perhaps troubled by a growth spurt, which appears as early as around the 3rd and 6th week of a newborn's life. So follow your maternal intuition and not the advice of those around you; ideally, breastfeed on demand.

Mommy, my tummy hurts

If it is not hunger, then it is usually a sore tummy. It is said that during the first three months, colic troubles most newborns and that boys suffer from it more often. From our own experience, we know that gender does not matter and that even those three months are not the rule. It is a challenging period in which we try to relieve the baby with various positions, for example the tiger hold or curled up, massages, warming the tummy, bathing in a bucket, etc. If the cause of the tummy pain is not some more serious illness or allergy, then it usually goes away on its own after a few months.

Mommy, my diaper is full or I need to pee/poop

Some babies cannot stand a full diaper and as soon as they have one, they immediately let you know. However, there are also those who refuse to do their business into the diaper and let you know when it needs to come off. In such a case, it is ideal to try the elimination communication method, which saves you money on diapers and is also a great prevention and help for tummy pain.

Mommy, I miss you

The baby was used to constant contact with its mother in the womb, day and night. In the womb it was warm, it heard the beating of its mother's heart and the rustling of her organs. Suddenly it is placed in a stroller or crib, hears all sorts of sounds that disturb it, and longs for contact with its mother, for her warm embrace. It cries to show that it misses her and wants to be held. The fact that a mother responds to her baby's needs does not mean that she will spoil it; she is only showing it that she is available whenever it needs her, which it will appreciate later in life as well. This period is often demanding because babies usually want to be held constantly, so it is ideal to get a sling and carry the baby on your body. It will be happy and the mother will have free hands and more freedom. If the baby misses you even at night, nothing is easier than co-sleeping.

Mommy, it's too much for me

Since everything in this world is new for a newborn baby, it may have trouble processing all these new stimuli. The easiest thing for it is to cry it out so it can feel better. If we think about it, it helps us adults too when we can cry or shout, because that is when the emotions that weigh on us are released and we function better again. It is similar with babies, which is why it is important not to let babies cry alone and to be available to them whenever they need it, because only in our arms do they feel safe and can let out what is troubling them. This crying is often confused with the crying when a baby has a tummy ache. The two are somewhat related, because when a baby cries a lot, it swallows air, which then needs to leave the body again, creating the “unpopular farts.” 

If a baby cries every evening at the same time, then it is crying while processing everything it experienced during the day, and we should allow that. A pacifier may be a solution for making the baby stop crying, but all those new stimuli will not be released, and if this happens every day, it may later show up as greater aggression, biting, a need to calm down through material things, etc.

Beginnings are always challenging

Let's not kid ourselves, almost every mother has asked herself during the postpartum period whether she made a mistake somewhere. It is natural, we are scared, we are tired, we have no experience. However it is, we are doing the best we can for our little one, and even if we don't always succeed, that does not mean we have failed or that our baby will not love us. It loves us above all else and unconditionally. We are its whole world. So let us not be afraid to hold and cuddle our babies whenever it is needed; they will give it back to us later. And when they no longer want to be held, we will fondly remember this period.