How To Calm A Crying Baby
Try some of the following ways to comfort your baby. Some may work better than others:
- If you’re breastfeeding, let your baby suckle at your breast.
- Having some gentle noise in the background may help distract your baby.
- Some older babies like to use a bit of cloth or a blanket as a comforter.
- Hold your baby or put them in a sling so they’re close to you. Move about gently, sway and dance, talk to them and sing.
- Rock your baby backwards and forwards in the pram, or go out for a walk or a drive. Lots of babies like to sleep in cars. Even if they wake up again when you stop, at least you’ll have had a break.
- Find something for them to listen to or look at. This could be music on the radio, a CD, a rattle, or a mobile above the cot.
- Try stroking your baby’s back firmly and rhythmically, holding them against you or lying face downwards on your lap.
- Undress your baby and massage them gently and firmly. Avoid using any oils or lotions until your baby’s at least a month old. Talk soothingly as you do it and keep the room warm enough. Some health centres and clinics run baby massage courses. For information, ask your midwife or health visitor.
- Try a warm bath. This calms some babies instantly, but makes others cry even more.
- Sometimes too much rocking and singing can keep your baby awake. You might find lying them down after a feed will help.
- Ask your health visitor for advice.
Calming Yourself Is Job Number One
The first trick to calming your baby is to recognize that you yourself are anything but calm. Take a moment to name how you are feeling . After that crucial first step, here are some additional strategies that may help:
About Baby Steps
This article was featured in Baby Steps, a ZERO TO THREE newsletter for parents and caregivers. Each issue offers science-based information on a topic of interest to parents and caregivers of young childrenfrom sleep to challenging behaviors, and everything in between.
Ways To Calm Your Baby During Fussy Periods
Kara Wilson Editor & Infant Sleep Educator Next
Just when you think you might be getting the hang of motherhood, and that you know your baby pretty well bam! Your baby undergoes a personality change, and even the most easy-going of bubs can suddenly become an unsettled velcro baby. The good news is that all babies go through normal fussy periods, and theyre actually a sign of healthy development.
During these periods, you might find that your baby is extra clingy, cries more, and perhaps feeds more , and their sleep is disrupted. In young babies, these periods might last a few days, but as the changes in their brain and body become more complex, these periods can last for several weeks. You need to remember that your babys brain is working overtime: its making an unbelievable one million new connections every second! These huge changes can be incredibly unsettling to a baby.
So, here we look at five ways you can calm your baby during periods of fussiness:
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How To Use A Baby Swing To Calm Your Infant
As the parent of a newborn, finding moments where you can be hands-free are few and far between. This is what makes a baby swing such a fantastic resource when you need to get something done. Your baby can enjoy rocking gently in their swing and you can have a few minutes to get work done, do chores, or do a handstand — up to you!
If you have a fussy baby, a swing can work wonders to calm them down. The gentle rocking sensation reminds them of being in the womb, which is inherently soothing. As long as you follow the instructions and weight restrictions of the swing, its a safe way to give yourself a break every now and then.
Reasons Your Baby May Be Crying
Your baby may be:
- Hungry. Watch early signs of hunger, such as lip-smacking or moving fists to his mouth.
- Hot or cold. Dress your baby in about the same layers of clothing that you are wearing.
- Wet or soiled. In the first few months, babies wet and soil their diapers a lot.
- Spitting up or vomiting a lot. Some babies have symptoms from reflux. Contact your child’s doctor if your baby is fussy after feeding, arches his/her back, has excessive spitting or vomiting, and is not gaining weight.
- Sick . If your baby is younger than 2 months and has a fever , call your child’s doctor right away. Rectal temperature is the most accurate temperature in infants.
- Bored. Go for a walk with your baby. Sing songs or read books with your baby.
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Is My Baby Hungry
When your baby is fussing, the first question to ask yourself is whether or not they might be hungry. If they are, the remedy is as simple as a bottle or a breastfeeding session.That being said, breastfeeding is not always comfortable for you as the mom. If you find yourself with sore or cracked nipples, take care of your skin with Mustelas Nursing Comfort Balm. This soothing and restorative nipple cream moisturizes and protects your nipples, eases discomfort, and helps to replenish and restore skin during and after breastfeeding.
Give Yourself A Break
Caring for a fussy baby can be quite frustrating for you as the parent, especially when nothing you do seems to calm them down. If you find yourself getting angry or frustrated, take a break so that you can come back and care for your baby when you are calmer. Staying calm yourself is key to calming your little one!Put your baby in a safe place or give them to a trusted caregiver, then take a few minutes to yourself. If youve left your baby alone in their crib, go back to them soon. Simply giving yourself a 10-minute respite to take a deep breath can be exactly what you need.
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What Colic Looks And Sounds Like
Parents of babies with colic often say that the babies look like they are angry or in pain, have gas, or are trying to go to the bathroom without success. Other characteristics of a baby with colic:
- Higher pitched, more frantic crying
- Sudden crying, starting out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason
- Rigid or stiff body, often with clenched fists
- Bent legs and stomach may feel hard
Does My Baby Have A Food Sensitivity
Whether your baby is exclusively breastfed or theyre already snacking on baby food, a food sensitivity could make them uncomfortable. If you suspect that a food sensitivity might be the issue, talk to your doctor about how to approach it. Breastfeeding moms can change their own diet, while bottle-fed babies might need to try a different formula.
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Hush Little Baby: How To Soothe Your Crying Newborn
Its a simple fact: babies cry. And it can take a toll on parents as well as for baby, especially when everyone is already exhausted. Perhaps thats why pediatricians find that one of the most frequently asked questions from new parents is, how do I stop my newborn from crying?
To get some answers, we spoke with Vanita Jindal, MD, a Stanford Childrens Health pediatrician at Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group in San Mateo.
To soothe a crying baby, I recommend trying the 5 Ss, says Dr. Jindal. Those include: Swaddling, Side or Stomach position, Shushing, Swinging and Sucking .
Many experts agree that these simple motions and actions can help simulate the womb and help calm a fussy baby.
Dr. Jindal also recommends reading the book Happiest Baby on the Block as a reference for these techniques. She also adds, Remember that a well-fed baby with a clean diaper may still cry, which is completely normal. Just take deep breaths and the 5 Ss can help tremendously!
Take A Walk With Your Little One:
Change of environment is a good way to reduce overstimulation. If the baby is fussy at one place, try walking with them at another place.
Rhythmic changes during walking is also a game-changer. Bonus points if you accompany another adult while walking. This will help prevail over the sanity of your child.
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Try The 5 Ss From The Happiest Baby On The Block
When I was pregnant, I read Harvey Karps famous book, The Happiest Baby On The Block, and I always recommend to my friends to do the same. Its a very simple read that is packed full of information, and theres also a DVD which Ive heard is extremely helpful . Karps method is based on implementing 5 common actions to soothe your fussy baby: swaddling, placing your baby on their side, shushing, swinging and sucking. The biggest emphasis is placed on swaddling first, because it gives your newborn a sense of security that mimics the feeling of being in the womb. Now, we know not all babies love being swaddled, and thats why there are 4 more Ss that almost always work in some form. You dont need any special equipment and even in a sleep deprived state, you can usually remember a few of them!
Getting Help With A Crying Baby
You can talk to a friend, your health visitor or GP, or contact the Cry-sis helpline on 08451 228 669, open 9am to 10pm, 7 days a week. You’ll be charged for your call.
Cry-sis can put you in touch with other parents who have been in the same situation.
You can also visit the Cry-sis website for information on coping with crying babies.
If you decide to talk to your health visitor or GP, it can help to keep a record of how often and when your baby cries.
For example, this might be after every feed or during the evening. This can help your health visitor or GP to work out if there’s a particular cause for the crying.
Keeping a record can also help you identify the times when you need extra support. You could think about possible changes to your routine.
There may be times when you’re so tired and angry you feel like you cannot take any more. This happens to a lot of parents, so do not be ashamed to ask for help.
If you do not have anyone who can take care of your baby for a short time and the crying is making you stressed, put your baby in their cot or pram, make sure they’re safe, close the door, go into another room and try to calm yourself down.
Set a time limit for example, 10 minutes then go back.
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Evaluate Your Own Emotional State
When your baby cries for hours on end, it is natural to feel responsible. Often, though, blaming yourself can get in the way of your ability to be calm, present, and responsive to your baby. The relationship with your baby is a partnership, so your emotions will make a difference to how your baby reacts. If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, angry, anxious, or detached, your baby may have trouble calming down.
Your Baby Can Sense Your Mood
Parents often find it difficult to cope with evening fussiness from their little ones, as they themselves feel exhausted by the end of the day.
This is often the reason why the baby struggles to settle: infants need their mum and dad to comfort and reassure them and exhausted and anxious parents can find this hard to convey.
Its a vicious circle: baby cries, parents become increasingly worried, the baby starts crying even more hysterically and so on it goes
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Calming A Fussy Newborn
Comforting a crying baby can seem like an impossible task at times. As a new parent, its helpful to know some tips on how to calm a fussy newborn.
Ana Stoica, MD, a pediatrician at Penn Fair Pediatrics, recommends a variety of ways to help calm a newborn while theyre upset and provides long-term strategies to help a baby stay relaxed.
Why Are Babies Fussy In The Evenings
Having a fussy period during the late afternoon or evening is very common. Parents often feel blindsided by what is happening and may call their doctor, thinking something is physically wrong with their baby. They may feel like a bad parent, because they arent able to soothe their baby.
Usually, however, there is nothing physically wrong with your baby. And you can rest assured that fussy evenings arent attributable to anything you are doing wrong as a parent.
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White Noise For Babies Free Download
Theres an old saying that goes this way, dont be trapped by dogma. It is true that some people consider white noise harmful for babies because of its disadvantages that may arise when used improperly. But theres nothing wrong if parents will try it for at least three days while aiming to test the ability of their babies to develop natural ability to soothe and calm down from crying.
Remember, several individuals in the different parts of the globe have already proven that its excellent when properly used. White noise has so many free downloadable versions on the internet these days that can provide maximum satisfaction to those parents who really want to know if sound masking will work better in the process of providing a more rejuvenating sleep for their babies.
If Your Baby Seems To Have Gas You May Want To:
- Spend extra time burping baby. If your baby doesnt burp after a few minutes of trying, its OK to move on and try something else!
- Bicycle their legs in the air. This technique is also useful if your baby is constipated.
- Try over-the-counter options. Before you consider gripe water or gas drops, discuss options with your babys doctor first.
- Choose slow-flow bottle nipples. By adjusting the nipple flow, less air may enter your babys digestive system with their milk.
- Change your babys formula. Before giving up on a beloved formula brand, you can also consider trying the same formula in a ready-made formula version, which might lead to less gas than the powdered kind.
- Experiment with your diet. If your breastfed baby is showing signs of gas discomfort and youve tried other solutions to no avail, it may be time to consider eliminating certain foods from your diet.
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A Few Notes On Baby Swing Safety
Its really important that you read all the instructions that come with your baby swing and follow them accordingly. Weve listed some of the most important safety precautions below to get you started.
- Check the weight limits of the swing
- Always use the swing on the floor, never on an elevated surface
- Check that your babys harness is secure
- Dont place toys in the swing
- If your baby starts to sleep, gently move them to their bassinet or crib. Sleeping in a swing can be dangerous.
- Dont leave your baby unattended
- For babies that are under four months, you should use the most reclined position
- Dont use a blanket in the swing dress your baby in more layers of clothing instead
- You should never leave your baby in their swing for more than thirty minutes — lying in this position for too long isnt good for them and can actually flatten the back of their head
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