Wailing, sobbing, whimpering, shrieking—they’re just things babies do. Besides smiling and frowning, crying is how your baby talks to you. The tricky part is decoding this “language,” something you want to do before you go back to work and your baby starts spending more time with a caregiver.

This is communication a new mom gradually develops by determining whether it’s her baby’s diaper, a feeding issue, fatigue or overstimulation that’s causing his cries, and then tending to these needs, says Glade Curtis, MD, author of Your Baby’s First Year Week by Week. You can also try different positions and ways to hold your baby to soothe him, or swaddling, which helps many babies feel comforted and secure (for a how-to, go to swaddling.workingmother.com).
But experts, and even moms, are discovering new ways to interpret cries. One method is the Dunstan Baby Language (dunstanbaby.com). Developed by Australian mom Priscilla Dunstan, it teaches parents how to determine what babies’ sound cues mean. Dunstan’s research has led her to identify five distinct sounds she says newborns use to signal the basics: “Neh” for hunger, “Owh” for fatigue, “Eh” for the need to burp, “Eairh” for gas and “Heh” for discomfort like a dirty diaper. By deciphering these preemptive cries, moms can settle their little ones more easily. “A baby’s need can be met quickly if we understand his language,” says Dunstan.

Sometimes, however, babies wail inconsolably, frequently due to a condition called colic. An estimated 5 to 25 percent of babies experience colic, defined as prolonged crying in a healthy baby for more than three weeks. It has no known cause (check with your doctor to rule out digestive or other problems), but it often improves by about 3 months. Meanwhile, the constant crying can be very distressing for moms. Rocking, swaddling and pacifiers—even music and fresh air—may help comfort a colicky tot, but there is no surefire remedy. “Be sure to ask for help when you are at your wit’s end,” urges Dr. Curtis.

Ultimately, there’s no magic cure for a baby’s cries. So, Dr. Curtis says, “you have to experiment to see what works best for you and your baby.” Pretty soon you’ll be talking his language—and soon enough he’ll be talking yours.