Why Is My Newborn Crying When Feeding & How to Calm

Seeing your newborn crying when feeding can be both Stressful and exhausting. Often it’s something simple like gas, reflux, or latch issues. Many babies go through this stage, so watch your baby’s cues and don’t stress. There are ways to calm your little one and make feeding more comfortable. Knowing why it happens is the first step to helping your baby settle.

Why Is My Newborn Crying When Feeding?

Newborns cry during feeding for many reasons, ranging from simple discomfort to more complex health issue such as:

• Gas or wind:

Babies can swallow air while feeding, which becomes trapped and causes tummy discomfort. When this happens, they may swallow even more air, leading to increased gassiness and fussiness.

Signs of this discomfort can include:

1. pulling their legs up
2. arching their back
3. clenching their fists

In many cases, a baby crying during feeding is linked to trapped air or tummy discomfort. Burping a baby during and after feeds may help relieve discomfort from gas.

• Reflux:

This is when milk and stomach acid travel back up the esophagus, causing pain.

Symptoms can include:

1. Spitting up frequently
2. Fussiness
3. Arching the back during or after a feed

Reflux is common in young babies, especially in the first weeks of life, and usually starts before a baby is eight weeks old and should clear up by the age of one year. Reflux is a common condition where babies bring their milk back up after feeds. ¹

• Gastro-colic reflex:

The simple act of a baby eating can trigger a reflex that stimulates the digestive system. For an already sensitive or irritated digestive system, this can intensify pain and lead to crying.

• Immature digestive system:

A newborn’s digestive system is still developing. Sensations of gas or fullness that an older child wouldn’t notice can be perceived as alarming or painful by a newborn.

• Food intolerance or allergy:

An allergy, particularly to cow’s milk protein in formula or passed through breast milk, can cause digestive upset.

Food sensitivities in breastfed babies, such as reactions to dairy or caffeine, can also lead to irritability and crying during or after feeding. Other symptoms include bloating, wind, and changes in stool.

• Latch problems:

An improper latch can cause a baby to get frustrated and not receive enough milk, leading to crying. Parents play a key role in identifying and addressing feeding problems.

• Slow or fast milk flow:

For breastfed babies, a slow milk let-down can make a baby impatient, while an overactive let-down can cause them to choke or gulp air.

For bottle-fed babies, the nipple flow might be too fast or too slow. Using the correct teat flow for bottle feeding is important to prevent crying.

A fast flow can cause choking, so monitoring feeding behaviors is important for safety.

If the nipple flow is incorrect, your baby may be crying because they are struggling to feed comfortably. Changing the teat on a bottle can help if the current flow is causing the baby to cry due to frustration.

• Not hungry or overfed:

A baby may cry during a feed if they are not truly hungry, or they may cry midway through if they are full. Paced bottle feeding can help them regulate their intake.

• Hunger Cries:

Early hunger cues include rooting, sucking on hands, or smacking lips. Waiting until your baby is already crying can make feeding more difficult, as hunger cries are a late sign of hunger and may mean your baby is already upset. A sure sign that the cry was for hunger is that it stops shortly after your baby begins feeding.

• Growth spurts:

Babies often pull off and fuss during growth spurts, sometimes called “frequency days”. These are periods of intense, rapid development and can cause a baby to seem hungrier or more irritable than usual.

While breastfed babies may cluster feed to increase milk supply, even bottle-fed babies can show heightened hunger. This is a normal and temporary developmental phase. Common growth spurt ages are:

• 7 to 10 days
• 2 to 3 weeks
• 4 to 6 weeks
• 3 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• Nipple confusion:

This can occur when a baby switches between breast and bottle, as the sucking mechanics are different. This can lead to frustration and refusal of one or both. Baby’s cries can indicate frustration or confusion during feeding transitions.

How nipple confusion happens

• Breastfeeding: A baby must open their mouth wide to achieve a deep latch, and then use their tongue and facial muscles to compress the milk ducts and stimulate the milk let-down reflex. The flow of breast milk starts slower and changes speed over the course of a feeding.
• Bottle-feeding: With a bottle, milk flows more consistently and with less effort from the baby. The baby can often get milk by using less complex muscle movements, essentially just clamping down on the artificial nipple.

• Tiredness or overstimulation: Overstimulation or overtiredness can overwhelm a newborn, causing them to cry. A tired baby who is overtired can become too fussy to focus on feeding. Conversely, too many sights and sounds can distract them from eating.

A tired baby who is overtired can become too fussy to focus on feeding. Conversely, too many sights and sounds can distract them from eating.

• Uncomfortable position:

A baby who is not adequately supported may feel uncomfortable and cry.

• Dirty diaper:

A baby may simply need a diaper change. Changing a dirty diaper can improve a baby’s willingness to feed.

• Teething :

If your baby is teething, breastfeeding might be uncomfortable, causing them to pull away and cry.

• Oral thrush:

Sore patches can make feeding painful for a newborn, leading to squirming, crying, fussiness, or refusal to eat. This is because the fungal infection causes sore patches and white lesions in the baby’s mouth that are irritated by the sucking motion of feeding.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of how oral thrush can cause feeding discomfort:

Sore and irritated mouth

The yeast infection (Candida albicans) causes white or gray patches to form on the tongue, gums, inner cheeks, and roof of the mouth. These patches can look like cottage cheese and are not easily wiped away.

The patches can also be quite sore and may even bleed if scraped. The sucking required for both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding can agitate these sores, causing discomfort or outright pain.

Difficulty with latching

The pain from the thrush patches can make a baby hesitant to latch properly onto the breast or bottle nipple.

The soreness and irritation can interfere with their ability to suck effectively, leading to a poor latch and increased frustration and crying.

• Illness: If your baby’s cry sounds different or is accompanied by other symptoms like a fever or rash, it could be a sign of illness, such as a painful ear infection or a fungal infection like oral thrush.

A sick baby may have a weaker, whinier cry, and parents should watch for other signs of illness.

• Communication

Sometimes, babies pull away because they need a break or want to be soothed in other ways, such as cuddling or skin-to-skin contact.

Baby’s crying is a form of communication, and a baby may be scared or distressed, needing comfort and reassurance.

• Caregiver stress:

Babies are highly sensitive to the emotional state of their caregivers. If a parent or caregiver is feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed during feeding times, the baby may pick up on these emotions and become more unsettled or fussy. ²

This can create a cycle where the baby’s crying increases caregiver stress, which in turn makes the baby more distressed.

How To Soothe Your Newborn During Feeds

Here are some tips for soothing a crying baby during feeding:

• Establish a consistent feeding and sleeping routine: Creating a regular routine for feeding and sleep can help prevent fussiness and make it easier for your baby to settle.
• Adjust feeding position: For breastfed babies, try different holds. For bottle-fed babies, keep them for 20–30 minutes in a more upright sitting position to reduce air swallowing and discomfort.
• Experiment with more upright feeding positions and hold your baby upright for 20–30 minutes after the feed.
• Don’t worry about missed burps: It’s okay if your baby doesn’t burp after every feed, and there’s no need to stress over it. The trapped air will eventually find its way out.
• Burping is not harmful, but may increase spit-up: Trying to burp your baby is not dangerous, but be aware that it could increase the frequency of spit-up.³
• Check the bottle and nipple: If bottle-feeding, ensure the nipple flow is appropriate for your baby’s age and sucking ability. Try an anti-colic bottle.
• Paced bottle-feeding: This technique involves feeding your baby in response to their hunger cues rather than on a strict schedule or encouraging them to finish a set amount of milk. It allows the baby to control the pace of feeding, which can help reduce overfeeding and minimize fussiness during and after feeds.
• Paced bottle-feeding mimics breastfeeding by encouraging pauses and slower milk flow, giving the baby time to breathe and swallow comfortably.⁴
• Recognize hunger cues: use responsive feeding practices and watch for early signs of hunger, such as rooting or sucking on hands, and focus on feeding your baby before they become overly upset.
• Establish a calm environment: Feed your baby in a quiet, dimly lit space to minimize distractions and promote good sleep habits.
• Relax: Babies can sense a parent’s stress, which can make them more upset. As a parent, your calm presence is essential for soothing your baby.⁵
• Look after yourself:Coping with an infant’s constant crying can be overwhelming. Ask for help, take short breaks when needed, and consider parent coaching for guidance and support. Always handle your baby gently and never shake.¹
• Use soothing methods: Try swaying, rocking, singing, or providing skin-to-skin contact as calming techniques. These can help your baby relax and fall asleep safely after feeding.
• Check for other needs: Ensure your baby’s diaper is clean and they are not too hot or cold.
• Check milk temperature: If a baby is crying during feeding, checking the milk temperature is important, as it can contribute to fussiness.
• Use a cry diary: A log of when your baby cries, for how long, and what soothes them can help you identify patterns over time.

When To Contact Your Doctor

If the crying is persistent and nothing seems to help, or if you observe any of the following, contact your pediatrician: 

• Poor weight gain
• Excessive or forceful spitting up
• Symptoms of colicky baby (crying for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week, for over a week). Colic can be described as excessive crying for no clear reason. Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old.

Still worried about your baby crying during feeds? With Avocado Health, you get 24/7 personalized expert advice, practical feeding tips, and professional parent coaching right when you need it most.

Conclusion

There are many reasons your baby will cry during feeding, especially in the first few weeks of life. Crying is normal baby behavior and can be for simple things like a diaper change or more complex stuff like reflux or allergies. Pay attention to your baby’s crying patterns and you’ll figure out the cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants and children: from guidelines to clinical practice. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6416385/
2. Times of Societal Crises: The Mediating Role of Parenting Stress on Parenting Behavior in Fathers and Mothers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39767969/
3. A randomized controlled trial of burping for the prevention of colic and regurgitation in healthy infants https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24910161/#:~:text=Conclusions:%20Although%20burping%20is%20a,3%20months%20of%20follow%2Dup.
4. Does paced bottle-feeding improve the quality and outcome of bottle-feeding interactions https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378224002500#:~:text=Maternal%20sensitivity%20to%20infant%20cues%20and%20infant%20clarity%20of%20cues,paced%20bottle%2Dfeeding%20and%20breastfeeding.
5. Times of Societal Crises: The Mediating Role of Parenting Stress on Parenting Behavior in Fathers and Mothers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39767969/