There’s like nine-million reasons why a baby could be upset. I mean, they’re little people with a very limited ability to communicate. Crying is their way of making sure you know–something. But sometimes, just sometimes, those Reasons Why Your Baby is Crying are like the hardest to diagnose.
10 Unexpected Reasons Why Your Baby is Crying {maybe}
- Growing Pains. No really, remember back when you were in junior high and you were growing CONSTANTLY? Your shins hurt, your feet hurt, and if you were like me, your eyeballs even hurt some days. For reals, babies are growing fast and DUH, they can have growing pains, too.
- Urinary Tract Infection. Apparently, there’s a possibility for babies, especially girls, to get UTI’s, just like with us more mature ladies. And since babies are pee/poop machines, they pee constantly. If you’ve ever had a UTI, can you imagine being tiny, peeing all the time, and it stinging the bjeezus out of you? Nope, nope, nopedy nope.
- Invisible Thrush. I had no idea until recently that babies can have thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth) that doesn’t present “typical” symptoms like the white spots in the cheeks. They can have “pearly” lips (that’s what my daughter had) or they can just be super fussy when they eat. This one is really hard to diagnose without a doctor, but it’s totally worth asking, especially if baby suddenly starts pulling away from the breast or bottle to cry, then re-latches. Totally might be the problem.
- Diaper Rash. Can you imagine a raw, scratchy bottom that feels icky all the time? That would make me crazy-unhappy and I might be a bit grouchy, too. So, if that bottom is red, swollen and just downright angry, so might be the baby.
- Sleepiness. Yeah. That’s like something you can put a stamp on and mail it to future you, too. Toddlers get quite fussy when they’re sleepy but can’t settle, as well as little tiny babies.
- Lactose Intolerance. My first daughter had this CRAZY bad. If I ate a 1/3 of a piece of cheese, she was screaming all night. This is also something that your doctor should be able to diagnose. We had to switch doctors (that’s a whole ‘nother story) to get our baby girl figured-out, but once we did, the screaming stopped on a dime.
- Loneliness. Some might call it “wanting attention” or “spoiled,” but I call it “they’ve got a tiny attention span and just want to be with someone fun.” I’m that way. Don’t put me in a corner, I’ll get bored.
- Cold or Hot. Imagine a world where you were in the perfect temperature all the time and now you get a chilly breeze or someone puts you in a footie pajama when it’s 90-degrees. You’d cry, too. Baby should have on just a wee-bit more clothes than you. Never much more than you and never, ever less.
- Teething. Even if they don’t have teeth, they can be teething. This is sneaky and there’s really nothing you can do about it, but babies + teeth = crying.
- Clothes Too Tight. Check those pants. Sometimes, if you’re gassy, you like to unbutton. Baby would, too. Or maybe it’s those really cute socks. Check it.
Now, all that being said, sometimes, there’s just no answers that you can get off the internet to properly diagnose a child. If your kiddo is straight-up unconsolable, you need to take him to a doctor. Pronto.
