We have talked about the fussy baby and the baby that cries and why they cry and what it means when they cry and how you can comfort for their crying. For parents of infants, crying is a simple fact of life. Babies cry for a variety of reasons and there are many ways that we can bring comfort to our babies, but how do you know when the crying is something more than usual? When is it time to see your pediatrician about the baby crying?
Is it a Medical Problem?
If you notice a change in your baby’s crying patterns, if the intensity is greater or the durations are longer or they are intensely different from what you know is your baby’s normal crying pattern, then you may to talk to your pediatrician about it. You’ll want to give your pediatrician some specific information including the details on how the crying is different and you’ll want to talk to them about the pitch of the crying – whether it is more frustrated or urgent or in some way difficult.
There are times when a baby may cry because something mom is eating is disagreeing with the baby. Remember, a great deal of what you eat is available to your baby through breast milk. There is a potential for your baby to be experiencing an allergic reaction whether you as the mother are allergic or not. For example, I have always been lactose intolerant. When I was pregnant, I drank a great deal of milk because I craved it and I experienced none of the lactose intolerance that I normally would.
After she was born, I was still able to drink milk as long as I was breastfeeding. After she was weaned and my milk dried out – I went back to being just as lactose intolerant as I had been beforehand. The reverse was true of eggs, I’ve never had problems with eggs, but as it turns out – my daughter is allergic to them. They made me sick while I was pregnant and when I was breastfeeding, I couldn’t tolerate them very well, after she was weaned – I was fine with eggs again.
If you have a family history of some type of allergy and your baby expresses discomfort and discontent after nursing – bring this up to the pediatrician and consider forgoing eating that particular kind of food to see if it corrects the problem.
Crying Can Be Symptomatic
Because crying can be a symptom of a deeper problem, it’s important to keep track of these types of changes in their crying. You should note any differences in their diet and yours if you are breastfeeding as well as in their environment and routine. These are all key bits of information that can provide your pediatrician with what they need to know to diagnose a potential problem. Have you ever had to take your baby to see the doctor due to excess crying?
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