A baby’s cry immediately after birth signifies that their lungs are healthy and working perfectly. Lots of parents might see this as a paradox. Parents will often notice how a doctor will celebrate a baby’s first cry at birth.
The science behind a baby crying at birth might seem simple to you. It also involves some non-vocal elements like the musculature of the baby’s face, airway, and respiration. All these non-vocal element features of crying at birth develop in the womb.
Crying directly after birth can also be because the baby has just been delivered to a new cold environment compared to the womb that is always very hot, so this often makes them cry immediately after birth. Baby’s cry at birth also helps confirm their lungs, expand their lungs and expel amniotic fluid.
According to a health expert, A baby’s first cry at birth indicates that the lungs are working. However, the cry may be delayed due to difficulties during delivery or a nuchal cord. When a baby’s cry is delayed, the mother needs not to worry because that does not mean that her baby is unhealthy and fine.
The doctor may facilitate the baby’s first cry by drying the baby or sanctioning fluid from their mouth if they are not happening naturally. And if the baby’s delayed cry is excessive, some emergency signs may be followed, which means the baby will need to be attended by the doctor.
So we can say a baby’s first cry should bring a good feeling and relief to the mother and the doctor because it kick-starts her lungs. Some obstetricians might suction your baby’s mouth and nose to clear any mucus to ensure the two nostrils are wide open.
Newborn Care Immediately After Birth
1. Vital stats: A nurse will listen and observe your baby’s lungs and heart and check her temperature to examine abnormalities. The nurse will check your baby’s weight and height.
2. First physical observation: A pediatrician will check your baby, and if there is any problem, she will alert the doctor right away. She can compare your baby’s weight with the standard measurement of a newborn baby.
3. Bath: The nurse can then bath the baby with a warm water
Some parents might have an essential question running through their minds: Is it all newborn babies that cry after birth? The answer to this question is No, not all babies will cry with their first breath to live, but most babies cry.
All babies will cry within few minutes if they are not with their mother. A Baby’s cry can be very annoying and hard to ignore, but beyond the first minutes of a baby’s birth, an infant might cry because of a bruise and maybe a sore from birth which most times exhaust them sleep.
Crying gives assurance that the baby is alive and healthy. And it allows air to enter their lungs immediately after birth. At birth, babies try to use cry as a communication tool to tell the mother that they are not in good condition.
Interesting Read: Baby Crying Uncontrollably Suddenly
Why Do Baby Cry When They Are Born
1. Cold Environment: Babies are already well used to the womb of their mother, so the cold and open weather they experience after birth makes them feel very uncomfortable and leads to an excessive cry
2. Bruise or sore from the womb: A baby might get a slight bruise during delivery, and because of their soft skin, they cry out the pains.
Crying as a communication tool for babies may be very demanding for mothers, especially for inexperienced mothers. Babies also have needs just like adults, but babies may not communicate their needs to their mother, making people overlook and ignore them.
Babies have their basic needs like food; they need to be comfortable, kept healthy, and free from any morbidity. Hence, they also need attention, and they also feel emotions like anger, fear, and pain. When their mother cannot meet all these needs, they cry to show their discomfort because that is their only way of communicating with their mother.
Importance Of A Baby First Cry After Birth
The absence of a first cry when a baby is delivered is very worrisome to the mother and the doctor because it’s a sign that something might be wrong with the baby.
The cold environment causes discomfort to the baby, and this new experience will lead to crying. To cry, some organs must work together as the neonate must breathe, and when it does, it leads to the first inspiratory gasp.
Air will pass straight into the lungs through the respiratory muscles. Crying is a common action for newborn babies and can be caused by different emotions. Health practitioners have found that crying helps the body and mind, and the benefit starts at birth with a baby’s first cry on earth.
Benefits Of Baby’s Cry To The Body
- It detoxifies the body: we have different types of tears; reflex tears, emotional tears, and continuous tears. Reflex tears will clear a baby’s debris like dust from the eyes. Constant tears will help prevent your eyes from infection, and emotional tears have lots of benefits.
- It helps to self-soothe: crying activates PNS, and it helps your body rest. This benefit is not instant as it will take some minutes or hours before you feel the comfort in your body after crying.
- It dulls pain: when a baby cries for so long, it releases oxytocin, also called endorphins. This can help a baby ease physical pain. Oxytocin gives a baby a sense of calmness and wellbeing.
- Improves mood: crying can also enhance a baby’s mood and feeling.
Crying is a typical action in babies ‘ lives when they come out of their mother’s womb. Some mothers even go as far as slightly pinching or stroking the baby’s leg just for the baby to cry.
From this action, it is evident that crying is a regular event for a newborn baby to show that the baby is healthy. There is a general saying that the only time you cry and your mother will be happy is birth.
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