Parent and Baby

There is something about babies that are very endearing and will relieve the stress of the parents after work. This is so if the baby is smiling, cooing and in a very good mood. However, if the baby is positively bawling ang crying his eyes out, then your mood will be sour also especially if your baby will take his sweet time in calming down. So how do you calm a crying baby?

The first and foremost thing that you will do is to be calm. Your stress level can and will affect your baby. If you remain calm, then your baby will follow suit. Your baby can sense your mood and might decide to follow your suit and so he will keep on crying. The best thing to do is to be calm first yourself so that you will have a clear head to assess why your baby is crying. After calming yourself down, you then can see what caused your baby to cry. One of the prime reasons why babies cry is a wet or soiled diaper. Even if you have recently changed your baby’s diaper, it pays to check it again before trying other calming methods.

Next thing to do is to check your baby’s neck to see if he is too hot or too cold. You can add or remove layers accordingly. You can then try to feed your baby for he might just hungry that’s why he’s crying. Babies cry when they are hungry. Don’t worry; you won’t over feed your little one. Breastfeed babies need to be feed more often because breast milk is quickly absorbed. After feeding, burp your baby. Gas pain is one of the things that will make babies cry. Pat your baby’s back gently while holding him over your shoulder or while he’s lying on your lap.

You can also try to distract your baby’s attention. This often works. You can make faces or shake a rattle to distract your baby’s mind off the reason why he’s crying. If this doesn’t work, try cuddling or snuggling with your baby. Sometimes, all your baby needs is a little loving. Hold your baby close and give him kisses. You can whisper to him. This often has a calming effect on babies. If cuddling your baby doesn’t work, try a different position. Some babies prefer to be held over the shoulder, some like the football hold while others like to be held facing out. Find out what your baby likes best.

Cooing to your baby also works. You can sing songs and lullabies. It is not necessary that you know the lyrics, you can try humming instead. Humming also offers a soothing vibratory sensation. Together with your humming, you can try dancing. A slow repetitive motion can lull your baby to sleep.  The cuddling, humming and dancing combined can lull baby to sleep. Instead of dancing, you can also sit on a rocking chair or a swing. Pay attention to your baby because for some little ones the motion can actually be over-stimulating. A gentle bounce is okay but be careful not to rock your baby too much. This often happens when you are not calm and you might bounce your baby too much. This might result in what we call shaken baby syndrome.

After trying everything, you can undress your baby. See if snaps might be pinching him or diaper tape is sticking to his skin. You can also inspect his body for any physical problems. If there is none, a warm bath might offer a calming effect. The bath might help ease your tension, too, so feel free to hop in with your little one. After bathing your baby, you can do the massage therapy. Lay your bare baby on a warm, firm surface in a frog-like position, and then gently rub her back, aiming toward the lower back. Don’t rub too lightly, though, or you could tickle her and make her even fussier. This method can be so effective that Baby falls asleep. If this happens, be sure to turn her over to her back so she can sleep safely.

If you try feeding your baby and he is already full but he’s still crying, you can try giving your baby a pacifier. He just might need to suck even if he is already full. Reduce external stimulation because babies sometimes cry due to too much external stimulation. Try dimming the lights, removing toys and reducing the noise level. However, there are babies that will calm down if they hear what we call white noise. Examples of white noise are vacuums, hair dryers and fans. If you can find a noise that your baby will like, you can make a recording of it. This is for your sanity.

This especially applies to newborns. If your newborn is very fussy, try swaddling him. Swaddling reduces anxiety and returns them to a womb-like state. Another thing that can calm even the fussiest baby is a car ride. Take your baby for a ride and the vibrations and soothing sound can hush your baby. You can also take your baby for a walk. Fresh air and a little sun can help you and your baby feel better and be refreshed.

Last but not the least is to know when to surrender. Even the most patient and calm parent do have their breaking point. Knowing your limits will help protect you and your baby. When you find yourself feeling overly frustrated, lay Baby in his crib and close the door. Take a few moments to calm down and remind you that this stage will not last forever. If necessary, call a friend, family member or babysitter for respite.