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Ela fez uma careta e o bebé pôs-se a soluçar.

Ela fez uma careta e o bebé pôs-se a soluçar.
She made a face and the baby started sobbing.
From Lesson 386:Starting suddenly (pôr-se a, desatar a)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Ela fez uma careta e o bebé pôs-se a soluçar.

How does pôs-se a change the meaning compared to just using começou a?
While começou a simply means "started to", the expression pôr-se a adds the idea that the action started suddenly or abruptly. It perfectly captures the baby's immediate, involuntary reaction to the funny face.
Why is the pronoun hyphenated as pôs-se rather than coming before the verb (se pôs)?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns attach to the end of the verb by default in affirmative main clauses. Neither the conjunction e nor the subject o bebé acts as a "magnet" word, so they don't pull the pronoun se before the verb. If the clause were negative (e.g., using não), the pronoun would be pulled to the front.
Is fazer uma careta a fixed expression for "making a face"?
Yes. Uma careta translates directly to a grimace or a funny/weird facial expression. You will almost always see it paired with the verb fazer to express "pulling a face" or "making a face".
I usually translate "to cry" as chorar. What is the exact nuance of soluçar?
Soluçar specifically means "to sob"—crying with those gasping, catching breaths. Interestingly, it is also the standard Portuguese verb for "to hiccup". In this sentence, it paints a more vivid picture of the baby's distress than just using chorar.

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