Understand the language of your baby

Goal or Problem

Your baby cries often. You tried various things to calm him down. Sometimes they help, sometimes they do not. Wouldn’t it be nice to always know why the baby cries?

Idea

Babies have their ways of communicating. Unfortunately, they are very different from the manner how adults communicate. Therefore, there is lot of miscommunication... Fortunately, there are not that many facts, which babies want to tell us. So their language is not as complicated as ours. But it is quite different.

Here is the list of messages, which babies want to tell us most frequently. This applies to babies up to six moths old.

I am tired. It begins with irregular sulky moaning. If the baby does not fall in sleep, the moaning evolves to overtired weep. First, three short shrieks followed by loud cry. Then he takes a breath twice and cries even longer. He yawns and blinks with his eyes. Feet trample and arms swing. This goes on until the baby falls in sleep.

I am overstimulated. Long and loud cry resembling the cry when the baby is tired. Arms and legs swing. The head turns away from light, people and toys.

I am hungry. Cough-like sounds coming from the throat. This develops into a weep. First a short one, later a longer one in a wah-wah-wah rhythm. The baby licks his lips. Then he makes sucking moves with his tong. The head turns left and right and he puts his fist to his mouth.

I feel pain or I have problem with burps. Distinct quick high-pitched cry. The body stiffens. He pushes the knees up. The face is distorted from pain.

I am cold. The baby cries with trembling lower lip. Goose bumps, cold hands, feet and nose. The skin turns sometimes bluish.

I am warm. Moaning that sounds like gasping. It develops into a cry in five minutes if the feeling of warmth continues. The skin is warm and sweaty and red spots may appear. The breathing resembles gasping.

I want to cuddle. Babbling turns into short wah-wah. It stops right after being picked up. The baby looks around himself as if he was looking for something.

Each baby has his own dialect. Thus you will have to observe your baby for some time and possibly adjust the above guidelines.

References

This article was inspired by the book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau. The book contains many more smart ideas, which help you to be efficient parent while enjoying the time you spend with your baby.