When your baby is born he does very little. Eats, poops, sleeps and cries. Crying is the only way that your baby can communicate and at this point, all the cries sound alike. As your baby gets older however you will begin to notice different cries coming from him and you will begin to recognize better what it is that your baby needs. As your baby gets older some of his reasons for crying will change, while others stay the same.

Hunger
Still one of the most obvious reasons for your baby to be crying is hunger. Your little one is growing and burning through calories so fast that it is hard to keep up with him. If he gets a growth spurt it can seem as if never stops eating. You will learn to recognize the cry of hunger from your baby.

Pain
A newborn has very little “pain” in most cases. However, as his grows the pain begins to appear, first in teething, then in bumps and bruises as he gets on the move around the house. The pain cry will probably be more of a shrill cry, one you haven’t heard before, and one you quickly learn to recognize.

Fear/Anxiety
As your baby gets older he may start to feel a little anxiety about being left alone or being away from you. If this is the case for your baby, a brand new cry will be heard and your baby will learn from your reaction to use that cry in these circumstances.

Tired
It is possible for your baby to get over tired. When this happens not only will he not want to go to sleep, but he will probably have a cry that is so pitiful that it breaks your heart. Try not to let your baby skip a nap or get too tired that he doesn’t want to go to sleep. If he does it may be a long night for all of you.

Stubbornness
You can’t spoil a baby but boy can they make you feel like they are spoiled. Your baby may decide to get stubborn and start crying till he gets his way. This cry will probably sound less pathetic than his other ones; instead sounding more angry and upset. If this is your baby, try not to give into his stubbornness, but offer him something else to divert his attention.

As your baby changes so will his ways of communication. Soon will come the day when your baby is talking back to you and you are wishing he could only cry. Remember that at this point your baby’s only way of communicating is still crying and that the faster you learn to understand him, the happier everyone will be.