Differentiate Between Baby's Cries - Recognize crying as communication. Young babies are incapable of manipulation. To learn to differentiate between your baby's cries, you first must recognize that her crying always means something. As you learn to read her meaning, the sound of her cry will be as clear to you as words.
Respond instinctively. According to pediatrician and baby expert Dr. William Sears, a parent who responds quickly to a baby's cries reinforces the baby's ability to communicate through crying. As you respond quickly to your baby, he will begin to differentiate his cries, communicating more clearly to you specifically what he needs.
Differentiate Between Baby's Cries
Read body language. An infant's body language is often the clearest signal of what need she is communicating with a specific cry. If she is rooting or sucking on her fingers, she is hungry. If she is rubbing her eyes or has a glassy-eyed stare, she is probably tired. If she turns her head away from something that usually entertains her or tries to bury her face in your body, she could be overstimulated.
Listen to the sound of the cry. A sudden, shrill scream signals pain; a whiny, fretful cry can mean exhaustion or sickness. A soft whimper could indicate fatigue as baby settles down to sleep.
Try different solutions. Sometimes the only way to differentiate between cries is by finding the solution. For a young baby, there are only a few possible problems that you can solve: he could be hungry, tired, wet or dirty, bored, sick or in pain. Feed him, change him and offer him the opportunity to sleep. If none of these help, check for signs of sickness, such as a temperature or a rash. Try offering a toy or other interesting distraction. Sometimes it's impossible to know exactly why your baby is crying, but as you continue to practice understanding his cries, differentiating between them will become easier.
As a first-time parent, it can be overwhelming trying to understand what your baby is saying to you. Newborns, unable to talk or control their bodies, have no way to communicate but by crying. At first, all of your baby's cries might sound exactly the same, and you may have no idea why your baby is crying. It's possible that he doesn't even know himself why he's crying. But over time, as you pay attention to your baby and respond to his needs, you'll become an expert at differentiating his cries. - by eHow
Label: