How to Understand a Newborn's Cries

When a baby cries it is stressful to both the parent and the baby. How many times have you wished your baby could just tell you what they want? There is a secret language that babies are speaking through their cries. In a study of over a thousand infants from 0 to 3 months of age, a set of 5 common cries was found.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. You have to listen to the “pre-cry”. This is the fussy cry before the baby gets really upset and hysterical because their need is not being met. The cries are actually based on reflexes as the baby is trying to convey what they need.
2. The first cry is “Neh”. This means “I’m hungry”. The N sound is from the sucking reflex as the tongue is pushed on the top of the baby’s mouth.
3. The second cry is “Owh”. This means “I’m sleepy”. This is tied to the yawn reflex.
4. The third cry is “Heh”. This means “I’m uncomfortable”. The baby is feeling too warm, too cold, needing a diaper change, or some of distressing feeling.
5. The fourth cry is “Eair”. This means “I have lower gas”. The baby’s cry is a deeper cry, almost like a grunt. It is sometimes accompanied by the baby drawing their legs up towards their stomach.
6. The fifth cry is “Eh”. This means “I need to burp”. This is another reflex the baby makes as they are trying to push air out of the stomach but they need your help with a burp.
7. Order the DVD “The Secret Language of Babies” to hear these sounds and get more information.

Who Can Help: