Crying and Colic
.Babies cry to communicate—hunger, pain, discomfort, or even emotions like fear or loneliness. Unlike adults, they can’t explain what’s wrong, leaving parents to guess. By learning to read your baby’s body language and tone of voice, you can understand what they need and provide relief. With the right techniques, you can soothe your baby and reduce their crying.
The two characteristics of Crying
A baby’s cry changes based on what they need—hunger, pain, or discomfort each has its own sound. The two most important characteristics of crying are VOLUME and PITCH. When your baby is crying, listen carefully to how the cry sounds and ask yourself these two questions:
- Volume: How loudly the baby is crying?
- Pitch: How high pitched or low pitched is the baby's cry?
What Does a Baby in Pain Sound Like?Sometimes, sharp pains from colic can trigger crying. Learning to recognize the sound of a pain cry can help you figure out if your baby is hungry or actually hurting. A baby in pain often cries with changing intensity—the cry gets louder and higher-pitched as the pain worsens and softer as it eases. A high-pitched, loud cry usually signals more severe pain, while a lower-pitched, softer cry may indicate milder discomfort. The key sign of a pain cry is that it goes up and down in both volume and pitch, depending on how strong the pain is.
PAINFUL CRY = Varying Volume + Varying Pitch |
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What does a Hungry Baby Sound Like?
A baby can sometimes be hungry and in pain at the same time. But if hunger is the only issue, the cry usually sounds steady and consistent. The pitch might be high or low, but the tone and volume stay the same. This is different from a pain cry, which goes up and down in pitch and volume as the discomfort changes. HUNGRY CRY = Monotone Volume + Monotone Pitch |
Other Reasons Why Your Baby May Be Crying
Colic pain may often be the cause of your baby’s crying. However, it is important to note that there are other reasons that your baby could be crying.
- Sinus or ear infections – Can make babies feel irritable and uncomfortable.
- Respiratory infections – Such as bronchitis or pneumonia, which can cause pain and fussiness.
- Teething – Can start as early as a few months, often causing discomfort around 3–4 months.
- Birth-related injuries – Sometimes babies experience minor injuries during delivery, like a broken collarbone or bruised limbs.
- Neck or spine issues – Problems like cervical torticollis (head turned to one side) can result from birth, positioning in the womb, car seats, or sudden temperature changes.
- Digestive issues – Chronic constipation or diarrhea can be painful and distressing.
- Food sensitivities – Babies may react to ingredients in breast milk (affected by the mother’s diet) or in formula.
Colic is more than just crying
As we talk about the subject of Colic and crying, it is important to remember that Colic is often misunderstood. Many parents don’t realize their baby might have colic even without constant crying. While nonstop crying can be one sign, some babies with colic may simply grunt, seem restless, or have trouble sleeping.
For over four decades, The Colic Doc’s mission has been to help parents understand that treating colic starts with rethinking the outdated belief that colic is just about crying. To truly help your baby, it’s important to first understand what really causes colic.
For over four decades, The Colic Doc’s mission has been to help parents understand that treating colic starts with rethinking the outdated belief that colic is just about crying. To truly help your baby, it’s important to first understand what really causes colic.
Questioning the Rule of 3
Is This Really the Best Definition of Colic?
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The “Rule of 3” is the traditional way doctors have defined colic for many years. It goes like this:
However, the Colic Doc has discovered. that colic can involve more than just crying—babies may also show signs like grunting, trouble sleeping, or discomfort after feeding. That’s why understanding the root cause of colic is so important for getting real relief. |
Bonding with Your crying Baby
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Sometimes dads (and other caregivers) struggle to bond with a colicky baby. Often, the mother spends most of her day learning how to soothe the baby and position them to ease discomfort. When dad picks up the baby, it may start crying—not because the baby doesn’t love him, but because it’s uncomfortable. Once colic symptoms are relieved, babies can bond just as easily with dads, moms, grandparents, and other caregivers—pain-free and comfortable. Help Your Baby—and Your Family—Feel Close Again Learn the gentle, proven methods to relieve colic and make holding, soothing, and bonding with your baby a joyful experience. |
Doc Explains:
Understanding Baby Crying & Colic
Since the beginning of time, babies have cried. Parents have tried everything imaginable to help their children stop crying, especially since crying is hard for people to tolerate, no matter what age they may be. Crying carries with it so many emotions: fear, pain, sadness, happiness, anger, love, loneliness, hunger, and anxiety, just to name a few.
When an adult cries, we have the ability to ask them why they are feeling down; however, babies are different. Babies tend to communicate with either smiles or tears, which brings us to the problem of how to decipher what these tears mean. Whether they are sick, cold, scared, hungry, or just uncomfortable, these emotions are all expressed through crying, leaving parents or caregivers to guess as to what may be the underlying issue.
Since beginning my research in 1973, I have observed time and time again that we have not come far in understanding what babies are trying to tell us. What I have been finding in my current research is that people assume crying is just a normal part of being a baby. I would like to discuss and share with you in this website that body language and tone of voice can give you critical information about what is making a baby uncomfortable, and that with practice, you will be able to figure out about 93% of what the baby wants to tell you. The remaining 7% of information that you don't have access to would be the baby's verbal communication, explaining exactly why he/she is crying.
My research indicates that approximately 95% of babies born in First World countries, such as the United States and many European countries, have no pathological problems causing them to cry. This means that these babies cry out of some sort of discomfort, such as hunger, pain, or being wet, not because they are in need of medical attention. There are many exceptions when we consider countries, in which healthcare is limited and nourishment is poor, but our focus will stay primarily on the United States. It is also true that babies in First World countries can develop sinus infections, pneumonia, and even genetic conditions such as Williams Syndrome, but again, most newborns in America and other First World countries are generally healthy.
The goal of this website is to help better understand why our babies cry and how to deal with one major condition known as colic, which has caused thousands of parents heartache, while they watch their newborns cry without answers. This is typically the case within the first few months after a baby's birth and there often seems to be no way to successfully explain, and treat this painful condition we know as colic. Many people don't understand what colic is and therefore don't know how to treat it, but if you push your skepticism away and give this a chance to help you and your family, you won't regret it. Give us an open mind and we will give you results.
When an adult cries, we have the ability to ask them why they are feeling down; however, babies are different. Babies tend to communicate with either smiles or tears, which brings us to the problem of how to decipher what these tears mean. Whether they are sick, cold, scared, hungry, or just uncomfortable, these emotions are all expressed through crying, leaving parents or caregivers to guess as to what may be the underlying issue.
Since beginning my research in 1973, I have observed time and time again that we have not come far in understanding what babies are trying to tell us. What I have been finding in my current research is that people assume crying is just a normal part of being a baby. I would like to discuss and share with you in this website that body language and tone of voice can give you critical information about what is making a baby uncomfortable, and that with practice, you will be able to figure out about 93% of what the baby wants to tell you. The remaining 7% of information that you don't have access to would be the baby's verbal communication, explaining exactly why he/she is crying.
My research indicates that approximately 95% of babies born in First World countries, such as the United States and many European countries, have no pathological problems causing them to cry. This means that these babies cry out of some sort of discomfort, such as hunger, pain, or being wet, not because they are in need of medical attention. There are many exceptions when we consider countries, in which healthcare is limited and nourishment is poor, but our focus will stay primarily on the United States. It is also true that babies in First World countries can develop sinus infections, pneumonia, and even genetic conditions such as Williams Syndrome, but again, most newborns in America and other First World countries are generally healthy.
The goal of this website is to help better understand why our babies cry and how to deal with one major condition known as colic, which has caused thousands of parents heartache, while they watch their newborns cry without answers. This is typically the case within the first few months after a baby's birth and there often seems to be no way to successfully explain, and treat this painful condition we know as colic. Many people don't understand what colic is and therefore don't know how to treat it, but if you push your skepticism away and give this a chance to help you and your family, you won't regret it. Give us an open mind and we will give you results.
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This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical care. Always talk with your pediatrician about your baby’s health.
