CryDecodeDecode a cry

New from GentleMonths · For 0–36 month olds

Decode your baby’s cry in eight seconds.

Record. Mila listens to the rhythm and pitch. You get the most likely meaning + the next thing to try. A gentle second opinion, not a diagnosis.

No login. No raw audio kept. Works on any modern phone.

What CryDecode stands on

Powered by Anthropic Claude
Industry-leading AI safety lab
Dunstan Baby Language framework
Peer-reviewed reflex-sound research
Audio never stored
Only the privacy-safe spectrogram
GDPR + EU AI Act compliant
Vetted by our legal pages

How it works

Three quiet moments. One clearer answer.

  1. 1

    Hold your phone close

    About 30 cm from your baby. Aim for around 8 seconds — long enough for Mila to hear the rhythm and pitch.

  2. 2

    Mila reads the pattern

    The audio is turned into a spectrogram client-side. Anthropic's Claude analyses pitch, attack, and rhythm against the Dunstan reflex sounds and broader signals.

  3. 3

    Try the next thing

    You get the most likely meaning, what to try first, and a clear safety flag if it warrants a pediatric call.

The science behind Mila

Built on real research, not vibes.

Mila draws on the Dunstan Baby Language, a framework Priscilla Dunstan developed by listening to thousands of newborns and identifying five reflex pre-cry sounds reliable in the 0–3 month window: Neh (hunger), Owh (tired), Heh (discomfort), Eh (burp need) and Eairh (lower gas).

For the 4–36 month range, the framework expands to broader signals — pain, overstimulation, attention-seeking, boredom — that decades of pediatric and developmental psychology research describe.

Behind the scenes, your spectrogram is read by Anthropic’s Claude vision model. We share the framework, not just the verdict, in every reading — so you can sanity-check Mila as you would a knowledgeable friend.

Dunstan reflex sounds (0–3 months)

  • NehHungry — sucking-reflex 'n' attack
  • OwhTired — yawn-like, breathy oval
  • HehDiscomfort — short 'h' onset
  • EhNeeds to burp — upper chest
  • EairhLower gas — gut sound

The full vocabulary

Eight things a cry might be telling you.

Hungry
Neh

Repetitive, rhythmic, with a sucking-reflex 'n' attack. Often builds gradually.

Tired / overtired
Owh

Yawn-like, breathy, oval-shaped vowel. Often comes with eye rubs.

Discomfort
Heh

Short, breathy 'h' onset. Diaper, temperature, clothing pinch, position.

Gas / needs to burp
Eh / Eairh

Trapped-air sound from upper chest (Eh = needs to burp; Eairh = lower-gut gas).

Pain or colic

High-pitched, sudden onset, intense bursts with brief silences. Inconsolable.

Overstimulation

Builds quickly with restless body, gaze aversion. Common in late afternoon.

Wants comfort or contact

Lower intensity, fussing more than crying, pauses to check for response.

Boredom (>4 mo)

Whiny, on-and-off, settles instantly with novelty or interaction.

Safety first

What CryDecode is not.

CryDecode is an informational guide, not a medical device or diagnostic tool. Mila does not see your baby — only one short audio clip. Always trust your gut and consult your pediatrician for anything that worries you.

Call your pediatrician (or your local emergency number) if your baby:

  • Has a fever (especially under 3 months old)
  • Is breathing fast or pulling at the chest
  • Vomits forcefully or repeatedly
  • Is unusually limp, stiff, or unresponsive
  • Has not fed for many hours
  • Has been crying inconsolably for 2–3 hours

When Mila spots one of these patterns in the audio, she’ll flag it directly at the top of your reading.

Simple, gentle pricing

Try free. Subscribe when it earns its place.

Free
€0
forever
  • 2 analyses per month
  • Most-likely category + safety flag
  • Suggested first action
Start free
Premium
€9.99
per month
  • Unlimited cry analyses
  • Top 3 ranked meanings + deeper reasoning
  • Multiple alternative actions
  • Cry history & patterns over time
  • Early access to PoopHealthAI + FeverAI
Go Premium
Save 34%
Annual
€79
per year
  • Everything in Premium
  • ≈ €6.58 / month equivalent
  • One charge, no monthly admin
  • Cancel anytime, refund within 30 days
Go Annual

All paid plans include the Stripe-secured self-cancel portal. Already a subscriber? Manage your subscription.

Common questions

The honest answers.

Is CryDecode a medical device or diagnostic tool?

No. CryDecode is an informational guide for parents. Mila reads patterns in the cry and shares what they most often mean, but only your pediatrician can diagnose anything. If your baby has a fever, is breathing fast, vomits forcefully, is unusually limp or stiff, or has been crying inconsolably for 2–3 hours, please call your pediatrician (or local emergency number) directly.

How accurate is it?

Honest answer: we do not yet have an independent peer-reviewed accuracy study, so we will not claim a percentage. The classifier reasons over the spectrogram of your recording using Anthropic's Claude vision model, with the Dunstan Baby Language reflex sounds (Neh / Owh / Heh / Eh / Eairh) as a primary framework for the 0–3 month window, plus broader signals for older babies. Adding context (last feed, last sleep, last diaper) substantially improves the call. We are tracking real-world feedback from users to keep tuning it.

What ages does it work for?

Birth to about 36 months. The Dunstan reflex sounds are most reliable in the 0–3 month window. After 4 months, broader categories like overstimulation, attention-seeking, and boredom become more common — Mila weighs the baby's age you provide when ranking possibilities.

What happens to my baby's audio?

We never store the raw audio. The recording stays in your browser; only a privacy-safe visual representation called a spectrogram (it looks like coloured frequency bars) is uploaded for analysis. The classification result and the spectrogram are kept so you can revisit your reading; you can request deletion at any time.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Yes — one click from /cry-decoder/manage. We email you a secure link, you click it, you cancel inside Stripe's portal, and you keep access until the end of the billing period. No phone calls, no retention scripts.

Does CryDecode replace my pediatrician?

Absolutely not. Pediatricians read your baby's full picture — temperature, weight gain, behaviour, history. Mila reads the cry pattern of one short clip. Use Mila to try the next thing in the moment; use your pediatrician for anything that worries you.

Does it work in different languages?

The classification is language-independent — it reads the acoustic spectrogram, not speech. The interface is currently in English. More languages are on the roadmap.

What if I want a refund?

Within 30 days of your first charge, write to [email protected] with your subscription email and we'll refund you in full, no questions asked.

Ready when your baby is.

Three free analyses, no card asked. Mila is one tap away — especially at 3 a.m.

Try CryDecode now