This is an important question. A baby’s crying is different from an older child’s. It is the only way for your baby to express himself, so it means a lot, and not only because he is hungry or sad. But for the first few weeks, inexplicable questions will keep popping into your head: Is he hungry? Did he wet himself? Is he uncomfortable somewhere? Is he sick? Is it indigestion? Or does he feel lonely? It is hard for parents to think that their children will cry because they are tired. This is precisely one of the most common reasons why children cry. Sometimes the problem is easy to solve, but there is also a lot of crying that is not so easy to explain. In fact, by a few weeks of age, almost all babies – especially firstborns – enter a period of irritability. Although we can give a name to this period, we cannot explain it precisely. When this crying occurs only regularly in the evening or afternoon, it may be caused by intestinal cramps. Intestinal cramps are sometimes related to bloating and passing gas. If the baby cries as soon as it comes to a certain time of the day or night, we can only sigh and say to ourselves that at this stage he is an irritable child. Some children cry so intensely and jump around so much that some people call them irritable babies. Even healthy children can have irritable and uncomfortable crying in the first 3 months. This is only a temporary phenomenon and does not mean anything serious is wrong. If you are worried, let your doctor examine your baby carefully to allay your fears. It used to be thought that good mothers could tell the difference between their children’s cries and knew how to react. But in reality, even very good parents are basically unable to distinguish between different cries by sound. Is it because it’s hungry? Whether you feed your child according to the time or feed him according to his needs, you will gradually learn about your child’s routine. Some children will not form a regular routine at all, and it will be difficult to guess what he needs at what time. For example, if a child eats only half of his usual last meal of the day, he may wake up crying an hour later, instead of 3 hours later as usual. Of course, there are times when a child eats much less than usual, but still sleeps until the normal time for the next feeding. However, if the child eats as much as usual but wakes up crying in less than 3 hours, it is unlikely that this is caused by hunger. Does he want to suck on a finger or pacifier? For babies, even if they can’t get breast milk or formula, the act of sucking is comforting in itself. If your child is irritable but really full. You can give him a rubber pacifier or encourage him to suck on his fingertips. Most babies will hold up their fingers and suck on them for the first few months, and then they will break the habit on their own sometime between 1 and 2 years of age. Does he need to be held? Little babies especially need a hug and a pat when they feel physically safe to calm down. Some children feel comforted when they are tightly wrapped or wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket and can’t move their arms, thus easing the crying. Wraps and pats may have this soothing effect because they recreate that familiar feeling in the womb. Does the child need to defecate and struggle? Most babies don’t seem to care about this, especially those who are small. But there are some babies who are more fussy about it. Check the diaper and change it when it’s time. Is the child sick? Sometimes, children cry just because they don’t feel well. Usually, children become fussy before they get sick and only later show the obvious symptoms of illness. In addition to crying, there are often symptoms that can alert you that your child is sick – such as a runny nose, cough or diarrhea. If your child is not only crying very sadly, but also has other symptoms of illness, or is different than usual in general mental state, demeanor, or appearance, it’s time to take his temperature or go directly to the hospital. Is he being spoiled? Although older children can be spoiled, you can rest assured that in the first few months, your baby will not cry a lot just because he is spoiled. Something must be bothering him. Is he too tired? Some little babies don’t seem to be born to sleep peacefully. They become nervous and cry every time it’s time to sleep. Some children cry recklessly and hoarsely. Then, slowly or suddenly, they stop crying and fall soundly asleep. If your baby has been fed and diapered and is still crying when it’s time to go to bed, then first consider that he is just tired and should be put to bed for him to sleep. If he still cries, you can try leaving him alone for a few minutes in order to give him a chance to quiet down on his own. Tips to soothe a crying baby: 1. feed him or give him a rubber pacifier; 2. change his diaper; 3. pick him up and wrap him up tightly and pat him; 4. make some noise, such as a suction layer sound, or a shushing sound; 5. dim the light in the room to reduce stimulation; 6. settle down and tell yourself that your baby is fine and that you’ve done all you can do. Take a break and also give your baby a chance to calm down on his or her own.