Baby Whining Meaning, Causes and Solutions!
- Updated on 06 Jun 2021
- Parents Corner
- Divya Chopra
Contents
Balancing Between Baby Whining and Mommy Reclining
As first-time parents, you bring your tiny one home, wrapped in your arms, filled with emotions that cannot be explained in words! Just when you were about to lie down on the bed after putting your baby in the cot, you hear your baby crying – a high pitched cry. As you rush to hold her in your arms, millions of thoughts occupy your mind all at once!
“But I just fed her!”
“I have nicely swaddled her too!”
“Is she feeling hungry already?”
“Have I not set the room temperature right?”
Once she gets all cosy in your arms, she stops crying and goes to sleep in a second! This entire incident leaves you confused as to what was the reason behind your baby’s whining behaviour. Well, babies whine for a lot of reasons, most of which might become difficult for you to understand.
If your baby is whining at 4 months of age, it is because he/she is still too young to communicate their feelings through gestures. Since infants do not reach their developmental milestones until they celebrate their first birthday, they often communicate most of their feelings through whining.
While their whines may seem similar to you, they could indicate the different needs of your baby. However, there is nothing to worry about! You are a newbie parent to a newbie baby and even the best parenting books in the world don’t tell you the exact reason behind your baby whining. This is because every child is unique and special, and so is their parenting.
Baby Whining Causes and Solutions
Baby whining behaviours can be caused due to any (or all) of these 7 reasons. It’s time for you to observe your little one more closely! If this is your first time parenting a newborn, consider these tips as your parenting guide to calm your whining baby.
| Causes of Baby Whining | What you Can Do |
| Empty Stomach | This is one of the most common reasons for a baby whining. They are hungry (again!) and want to be fed. Try breastfeeding/bottle feeding your tot after you hear them whine. If they are actually hungry, they would happily stop whining once their stomach starts to fill up! |
| Sleep Troubles | It is often noticed that some newborns face difficulty falling asleep, even after being too sleepy. You can try holding them close to your skin and gently tap their back. What also works is humming a lullaby or a soft to help them sleep peacefully! |
| Discomfort | Your baby’s whining behaviour could also indicate his/her discomfort. This discomfort could be a rash on the bum or uneasiness in clothes. Here, you can check if diapers are causing any rash and if that is the case, you can put some anti-rash cream which will help soothe the itchiness. You can also try changing his/her set of clothes. |
| Pain | Your baby whining at a very high pitch can also be an indication of a pain he/she might be experiencing. You can try massaging gently in a circular motion with baby oil or lotion. If the whining continues, you may contact the paediatrician to check for any possible underlying condition. |
| Diaper Change | Staying in a soaked diaper is sure to make your baby whine. It’s best to check his/her diaper every hour to see if it needs to be changed. After you clean your little tot, put some baby lotion to avoid rashes/itchiness. |
| Temperature | Babies require a warm temperature to feel safe and secure. If they are feeling cold or too hot, they are likely to whine out loud to let you know. Check for temperature before bathing your baby or feeding him to ensure he/she does not face any discomfort. |
| Lingering Burp | After gulping milk or consuming semi-solid food, babies get an urge to burp. However, they cannot do so on their own for the first few months. You can help your little one burp by patting gently on the back. This will eliminate air bubbles formed in the food pipe of your child. |
“So I can do all of this at home to stop my baby from crying and whining?”
Totally! But your first step to calm your baby should be calming yourself down. We know parenting is not easy and you feel clueless most of the time. Think it this way – you are an adult who can identify emotions and control them in certain situations. Your 4 or 7-month-old whining baby is still at a stage of developing emotions!
When Should I See My Baby’s Pediatrician?
If your baby’s whining is getting intense, with him/her crying for long hours even after you have checked for all these 7 possible reasons, there could be a chance that your baby has become colicky. It is a common condition that makes a child cry unusually for hours without any definite reason. If you sense a possibility of colic in your baby, you might want to pay a visit to his/her paediatrician. However, you can try baby massages which have been effective in calming colicky babies.
Your baby’s doctor will also be able to see beyond his/her whining to rule out any underlying reasons that might be causing pain or discomfort to your little one.
A Parenting Motivation!
In the middle of all the whining chaos, your baby is surely trying to tell you “Don’t worry Mom and Dad, you got this! I will turn into a shining baby instead of a whining one soon!”
Happy Parenting 🙂
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