Why you may now see fewer tears and more settling
Your baby has used crying to communicate their needs and might have cried sometimes for no reason that you can identify. Now, they are beginning to find other ways to interact with you and the people around them, and you might notice that they cry a bit less.
Getting used to their new world
When your baby was first born, they experienced so many new new sights, sounds and feelings.[1]
Your baby is still dependent on other people to meet their needs – they need you to feed them, change them and help them to regulate their emotions. But, they are also developing their understanding of interactions and how you will respond to their needs.[2]
An increase in crying might be their need to bond with you
Research suggests, for some time after birth, the length of time babies cry for each day increases.[3] It's not clear why this is, but one consequence might be that their need for comfort during the first few weeks and months supports your baby to develop their bond with you and other people who care for them.
The good news is that as your baby learns that their needs will be met and develops different ways to interact with you, they will cry less frequently.
Now that they are becoming confident in their bond with you, they might settle with different people. You will know what tends to comfort your baby and what they enjoy and you can share this information with other people who care for them.
Your baby's social brain
Your baby's brain will develop rapidly during the first five years and continue to develop into adulthood. It develops according to the experiences that they have – they will make connections between parts of their brain which will be strengthened through repeated experiences.
Your baby is born with an interest in other people and a desire to make connections with the people around them, both to ensure that their needs are met and to learn about themselves and others.
The part of the brain that will help your baby to be sensitive to other people and to recognise social and emotional cues is one of the first that develops after birth. This development takes some time and, again, is dependent on experience.[2]
The area of your baby’s brain linked to social development will develop in response to interactions with you and other people who care for them. When you respond and offer comfort, you help them to understand their needs, and your support to help them regulate when they are a baby and child will help them to understand and regulate their emotions as adults.[2]
Your interactions with your baby will also help them to understand other people as they recognise and respond to your emotions and as they see you respond in different social situations.
So, the seemingly small things you do to care and comfort your baby now are teaching them really big things for life!
You'll see even more in the interactions to come
During the months ahead, your baby will begin to initiate communication in different ways, as well as continuing to respond to you and seeking interaction. They will still need your support to regulate their emotions, and you might see that they recognise when you leave and may be upset.
You might like our article on tips for when you need to leave your baby with someone else (including the key one: don't sneak away!).
References:
[1] Addyman, C (2020) The laughing baby: The extraordinary science behind what makes babies happy. London: Unbound.
[2] Gerhardt, S. (2004) Why love matters. How affection shapes a baby’s brain. Hove: Bruner-Routledge.
[3] Crying behaviour: Synthesis. In: Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Peters RDeV, eds. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/crying-behaviour/synthesis. Updated March 2017. Accessed October 27, 2021.