When a baby cries, it's not being "capricious", it's giving a signal. It's about hunger, fatigue, discomfort, or just the need for a warm hug.

Together with Anastasia Shelevytska, we have prepared a checklist that will help you better understand your child's language, reduce anxiety, and feel confident in your parenting.

Crying is a baby's language

• It is the baby's natural way of communicating with adults.
• Through crying, a baby expresses its basic needs and discomfort.
• Each child has a different rhythm and range of "normal" crying.

The main causes of baby crying

• Hunger: a gradual increase in crying, active searching movements, sucking on the hands. It is important to take into account not only the time that has passed since the feeding, but also other signals.
• Fatigue: the child gradually becomes irritable, whining, and decreases in activity. Falling asleep with the help of an adult is normal.
• Physical discomfort: wet nappy, uncomfortable clothes, overheating or hypothermia. Focus on the area between the shoulder blades rather than the hands/nose.
• Boredom and need for activity: after 1-2 months, the child needs new stimuli: eye contact, toys, changing position.

Colic, purple crying and dysgeusia

• Colic: intense crying for more than 3 hours several times a week. The causes are immaturity of the nervous system or gastrointestinal tract.
• Purple crying: sharp, prolonged, suddenly disappearing.
• Dysgeusia: difficulties with defecation, accompanied by crying and effort. Special positions (raised legs) can help.

What parents should do

1. Do not panic and do not look for unambiguous answers in the sounds of crying.
2. Observe the child's rhythms and adapt to them.
3. Avoid excessive overheating, and do not rely on your hands/nose to assess temperature.
4. Giving the child a breast or cuddle, even if they are not hungry, is a form of emotional reassurance.
5. Remember that care, contact, rhythm, support and patience are the best responses to most situations.