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.
Reasons Your Baby May Be Crying
Here are some of the main reasons your baby may be crying:
1.It may be time for a feeding. Pay attention to the signs of hunger for example, your baby may be smacking her lips or moving her hands to her mouth.
2. She may be too cold or too hot. Your baby could be crying because she’s uncomfortably overdressed or underdressed. A good rule of thumb is to dress your baby in the same number of layers that you are in.
3. It may be time for a diaper change. As a newborn, your baby pees and poops quite often, and she could be crying because she is uncomfortable from being wet or soiled. Frequent diaper changes can help keep her comfortable and also reduce the risk of diaper rash. A few ways you can check if your baby’s diaper needs to be changed include:
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Looking at the wetness indicator
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Giving it a quick sniff
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Touching the inside for wetness
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Noticing if it’s saggy or heavy.
4. She may have eaten too much or have reflux. Try to wait at least two to two-and-a-half hours before beginning another feeding as overfeeding may lead to discomfort. If your baby is spitting up or vomiting frequently after a feeding, she may have gastroesophageal reflux disease . Contact her healthcare provider if you’re seeing the following signs:
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Frequent spitting up or vomiting
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Fussiness after feedings
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Losing weight or not gaining weight.
9.She may be bored. If sheâs crying because she is bored, singing or humming to her may help. A change of scenery, such as taking her for a stroll, can also help.
Use A Suitable Feeding Bottle
Investing in a quality feeding bottle is important, as it will help prevent an overly gassy baby. Optimal feeding bottles are designed with soft nipples that can fit perfectly into a babys mouth, and thus prevent excess air from getting into his body.
When bottle feeding your baby, youll want to make sure the milk flows slowly and evenly into his mouth, so that he swallows it easily, without any excessive gulp. That is why investing in a suitable feeding bottle may assist in the prevention of excess gas.
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How To Comfort Parents After The Loss Of Their Child
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
It is always difficult to find the words to comfort someone who is grieving, perhaps even more so when it involves the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child. No one wants to think about it, but sadly, sometimes pregnancies miscarry and babies and children die. When this happens, the bereaved parents are at heightened risk of a variety of mental and physical health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.
Parents who lose a child need the support of their friends and loved ones. This support can come in many forms including offering a listening ear, connecting them with resources, providing a distraction, bringing meals, doing chores and errands, and just being there if and when they need you. Providing this extra support is not always an easy thing to do, but bereaved parents need family and good friends to lean on.
When To Worry About Frequent Breastfeeding
Bickford says that comfort nursing and frequent breastfeeding are healthy and normal, but if your baby is spending a great deal of time at the breast, rarely seems content or satisfied after a feeding, and is not gaining weight appropriately, this may be a signal that something isnt quite right.
It may be a baby is having difficulty getting enough milk, says Bickford. If this sounds like your baby, a lactation consultant can help to identify and fix the problem.
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Newborn Crying: What To Expect
Crying is a newborns main way of telling you what they need. Its a sound that can spur you into action, even when youre asleep. If youre a breastfeeding mother, it can trigger your let-down reflex.
Crying peaks at about 6-8 weeks. This period of intense newborn crying is hard, but it will pass.
Babies cry and fuss on average for almost three hours a day. Some cry for a lot longer than this. Most of this crying and fussing seems to happen in the late afternoon and evening, although every day will probably be a bit different.
As babies get older, they spend less time crying. The crying is also more likely to be spread throughout the day. And its easier to understand what babies need when they cry.
Crying is often a sign that your baby is tired or overstimulated. But newborns also have other tired signs. For example, newborns might pull at their ears or suck on their fingers when theyre tired.
Caring For A Sick Baby
While you may be able to feel a temperature difference through touch alone, its not an accurate method of diagnosing fever. When you suspect that your baby has a fever, take your babys temperature with a thermometer.
A rectal temperature of more than 100.4°F is considered a fever. In most cases, a fever is a sign that your babys body is fighting an infection.
A fever can stimulate certain bodily defenses to protect against invading viruses and bacteria. While this is a positive step in fighting infection, a fever can also make your baby uncomfortable. You may also notice that theyre breathing faster.
Fever is typically associated with the following illnesses:
- meningitis
- a range of viral illnesses
Fevers can lead to dehydration if your baby is not drinking well or is vomiting with their illness. Young children can get dehydrated quickly. Symptoms of dehydration may include:
- crying without tears
- dry mouth
- fewer wet diapers
Unless your baby seems uncomfortable and isnt sleeping, eating, or playing normally, its fine to wait and see if the fever goes away on its own.
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How You Can Tell If Your Baby Is In Pain
Even if your baby can’t talk yet, he’s still capable of communicating his pain to you. Once you recognize pain symptoms in your baby, you can take steps to soothe him.When babies are irritable or uncomfortable, they may show it with:
- High-pitched crying
- Difficulty with feeding or taking a pacifier
- Frequent hiccupping, yawning or sneezing
- Faster or slower breathing than normal
- Avoiding eye contact
- Minimal movement or wanting to be still or quiet
Your baby’s healthcare team can use a pain scale that lists these behaviors to estimate your baby’s pain level.
Getting To The Root Of The Crying
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Know When To Seek Help
If you constantly feel overwhelmed and the feeling doesnt go away, you probably need some outside help. Additionally, if you are feeling like you cant pick up on your babys cues or your baby isnt alert enough to engage in the early milestone behaviors, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. Problems that are identified early can almost always be solved.
British Columbia Specific Information
A crying baby is frustrating for parents and caregivers, especially when it goes on for long periods of time or you do not know the cause. To learn about why your baby might be crying, and for tips on comforting your child, see:
If you have any reason to believe a childs crying is related to possible harm or abuse or you think a child or youth is being abused or neglected, call Child Protection Services at 1-800-663-9122. Child Protection Services in B.C. safeguard children from harm. They have the authority to investigate and take appropriate action to ensure that childs safety. If there is immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. To learn more, see the Ministry of Children and Family Development Child Protection Services in B.C.
If you are a child or youth and want to talk to someone, call the Helpline for Children toll-free at 310-1234 . You can call at any time of the day or night and you do not have to give your name. Call 1-866-660-0505 for TTY services for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Helpline for Children is a toll-free service for children or youth . There is no charge to call the operator if you call from a pay phone.
Anyone who has reason to believe that a child has been, or is likely to be, abused or neglected has a legal duty under the Child, Family and Community Service Act to report the matter. Visit Ministry of Children and Family Development Reporting Child Abuse for more information.
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Is It Better To Start This For The Daytime Sleeps Or At Night Time
Sleep training is generally more successful at night. Try the night first and then day sleeps will follow.
If you are finding sleep training too hard try adding in a few more steps:
- Rock your baby in your arms until almost asleep and then put them into the cot.
- If this has been successful after a few days then do the same thing at sleep time but ensure your baby is put into bed fully awake.
- If you feel too tired, upset or stressed to follow through with sleep training strategies, pick your baby up, calm them down and try again later.
It Can Be Hard To Figure Out How To Comfort A Baby With Gas The First Thing You Want To Do Is Make Sure Thats What Youre Actually Dealing With
Babies pass gas all the time. But sometimes, they might have some that refuses to pass, which can cause discomfort and fussiness. If your baby is squirmier than usual, or keeps pulling up their legs, they could be trying to pass some stubborn gas. Some babies may arch their backs and be inconsolable while trying to pass gas. If they get better immediately after a burp or toot, then yep! Youre dealing with a gassy baby. If passing gas doesnt seem to relieve their discomfort, there might be more going on, and you may want to give their pediatrician a call.
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From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
Use White Noise When Putting Your Newborn To Sleep
If you notice that your newborn tends to fall asleep in a noisier environment as opposed to a completely silent environment, she will likely benefit from a white noise machine. White noise can drown out household sounds such as older siblings, pets, and the television. Some white noise machines even have a heartbeat setting to mimic a mothers heartbeat, which is very comforting to newborns as they sleep at night. The volume should be just loud enough to drown out any background noise. If the sound is too loud, then the machine, itself, will become a distraction.
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