Swaddle
Crying is how babies tell you something. Most of the time the reason is ordinary, and finding it is a process of elimination. This checklist goes from the most common causes to the less common ones.
First: is this urgent?
Call your pediatrician or emergency services now if your baby:
- is under 3 months and has a temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher
- has trouble breathing, or blue or pale lips or skin
- is hard to wake, floppy or unusually sleepy
- has a weak, moaning or very high-pitched cry that is not like them
- is vomiting green fluid, has blood in their poop, or has a swollen, hard tummy
- has had far fewer wet diapers than usual
If none of these apply, work through the list below.
The crying checklist
- Hungry? Look for rooting, sucking on hands, smacking lips. Young babies feed often, sometimes every hour in the evening. When did they last eat?
- Tired? Yawning, staring off, rubbing eyes. Check how long they have been awake against wake windows for their age.
- Diaper? Wet, dirty, or a rash.
- Wind? Some babies need to burp during and after feeds. Hold them upright against your shoulder, or sitting on your lap, and pat their back.
- Too hot or too cold? Feel the chest or back of the neck. See what to wear to sleep.
- Too much going on? Noise, lights, visitors and handling can overwhelm young babies. Go somewhere dim and quiet.
- Wants to be held. Needing closeness is a real need, not a bad habit.
- Something uncomfortable? Check for a hair wrapped tightly around a finger or toe, a scratchy label, or clothing that is too tight.
- Teething? From about 4 to 6 months, drooling and chewing may come with fussiness.
- Unwell? A runny nose, cough, fever or change in feeding can all bring more crying.
When nothing works
Some babies cry a lot in the first months even when everything has been checked, especially in the evenings. This is often the normal crying peak described as the Period of PURPLE Crying. Try motion, holding, skin-to-skin, shushing or steady white noise, and take turns with someone else.
If you feel overwhelmed, it is OK to put your baby down safely on their back in the crib and step away for a few minutes. Never shake a baby.
Keep track of patterns
Writing down feeds, sleeps and diapers can make crying easier to understand. A cry 3 hours after the last feed means something different from a cry 30 minutes after a long nap. You can use our printable newborn log, or an app that shows at a glance when your baby last ate, slept and had a change.