“Why Does My Baby…?” Questions Moms Ask

When you have a baby, especially a newborn, you find yourself asking one question a lot — “Why does my baby….?” Babies are adorable little cherubs, but sometimes their behaviors are downright confusing.

In addition to wondering why your baby does certain things, your brain will immediately follow up with the burning mommy question, “Is this normal?” Well, you aren’t alone.

Moms around the world have all sorts of questions about their baby’s behaviors. And lots of the seemingly unexpected behaviors are exactly the same, so you could say babies are more alike than they are different.

Babies grunt

A perfectly normal newborn behavior that tends to throw new mamas for a loop is grunting. Babies grunt. And it’s not like small soft grunts — they grunt loudly like little pigs. It can be unnerving that a small baby grunts so much. New moms wonder if baby is having trouble breathing or if the grunting is due to some unknown health issue.

Rest assured, if your baby grunts, it’s actually normal. Babies grunt for a variety of reasons, and as they get bigger, the grunting resolves itself. The term “grunting baby syndrome” is often used by pediatricians to describe this behavior.

One of the reasons newborns grunt is because they are trying to make a bowel movement. When they push and their faces turn purple, it’s due to the act of pushing, not because they are having trouble breathing. Babies also grunt when they “root” around looking for milk, whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding. It’s baby’s natural instinct to search for food.

Babies spit up

It can very upsetting as a new mom to enjoy a peaceful feeding with your baby that ends abruptly with your baby spitting up in projectile fashion. Fear not, because babies are notorious for spitting up  and some babies spit up a lot.

If your baby spits up right after a feeding, that’s pretty normal. Keep in mind that baby spit up may look like a lot of liquid, but it’s really just a miniscule amount. If your baby spits up after a meal, it doesn’t mean you have to feed her again to make up for what she spit out.

Babies spit up for all sorts of reasons. Remember, their little muscles are still developing like the esophageal sphincter that acts as a valve between the esophagus and the stomach. Another reason baby may spit up is because she simply overeats. Babies aren’t quite able to control how much they eat, so chances are it’s the result of a very full tummy.

That’s why burping baby is a tried and true component of feedings because you want to release those pesky gas bubbles. Gas bubbles can cause baby lots of discomfort. Upon release of the bubbles, babies do spit up.

Products like Little Remedies® Gas Relief Drops can aid in the soothing of your baby’s tummy. The active ingredient is simethicone emulsion that is a proven safe and effective way to relieve discomfort of gas from excessive swallowing of air or certain formulas.

Babies cry a lot

One of the top questions parents ask is, “Why does my baby cry so much?” Yep, it’s true.

There are literally thousands and thousands of baby care books, articles and podcasts and every single one of them discusses crying. Yes, we all know babies cry, but when you’re holding your own screaming baby, it can be rather shocking. Your brain knows crying is normal, but your emotions get the best of you.

Why is this otherwise content little human so upset? Why does she cry so much? What’s wrong with her? Is she in pain? Is something seriously wrong that I don’t know about? Is this normal?

Babies cry for lots and lots of different reasons, but chances are everything is okay. Even science and research can’t explain exactly why they cry, so you’re not alone in your confusion. The best thing you can do for a cranky fussy baby is do your best to soothe her. Whether it’s holding her, rocking her, having skin-to-skin contact or giving her a baby massage, moms try anything and everything to see what works.

The one trick that worked for my son was to lay him down on a blanket on his tummy and gently rub his back. Usually there was a burp hidden in there, or he would get dozy and then I could put him in his crib. Sometimes I’d just sit beside him and gently rub his back for as long as he’d let me, because anything was better than watching him cry.

Just keep in mind that the top reason why babies cry is tummy discomfort due to gas bubbles. When babies cry, the act of sucking in air can aggravate an already unhappy tummy. Calming your baby enough to burp her can be the best first trick to try. If she isn’t hungry, check her diaper.

If she’s comfortable and fed and still crying, she could be overtired or just bored. A change of scenery can help, which is why the notion of soothing baby with a car ride often works. If your baby is colicky, which means she cries for extended periods of time, try Little Remedies® Gripe Water to ease her symptoms.

Take deep breaths, stay calm and do your best. You’re not alone, mama.