How to Calm a Crying Baby

As parents, we're conditioned to make babies stop crying. This is part of the reason we care as well as we do for our children--we don't like to hear them cry. But dealing with a crying baby is one of the hardest parts of being a new parent. There are many techniques you can use to calm a crying baby.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Swaddling blanket
• White noise machine
• Infant carrier
• Bouncy chair
• Infant swing

1. Make sure your baby's basic needs are met before you do anything else. Is your baby hungry, thirsty, too hot or too cold? Does your baby need to be changed, or is she physically uncomfortable? If you think you've met your baby's basic needs, move on to step 2 to learn how to soothe a baby.

2. Think about the place where your baby developed--your uterus. The uterus is a tight, dimly lit and fairly quiet place. The sounds your baby heard while developing were your heartbeat and the sound of the blood rushing through your veins. As you moved, your baby rocked and was soothed. Try mimicking the uterus by tightly wrapping your baby, rocking your baby and using white noise. Placing your baby on your chest to hear your heartbeat may also work to calm your baby.

3. Provide skin-to-skin contact to calm a crying baby. Many babies respond wonderfully to being stripped down to their diaper and then placed on a caregiver's chest. Throw a blanket over the two of you, and both of you will be totally warm. Your baby will be surrounded by your scent, feel your touch and hear your heartbeat. This may be all you need to calm your crying baby.

4. Wear your baby. Put your baby into an infant carrier such as a Baby Bjorn, sling or Maya Wrap and wear your baby as you go about your day. Wearing a baby will keep him close to your scent and the sound of your voice. It provides rocking and allows you to respond quicker to his cries. Parents who wear their babies report significantly less crying times and find it easier to calm the baby.

5. Try rocking, jiggling or swinging your crying baby. Put your baby into a vibrating bouncy chair or a swing. Take her for a car ride or put on some calming songs and try dancing with your crying baby.

6. Sing to your baby. Babies love hearing their caregivers' voices, and they've been hearing them as long as they have had developed ears. It doesn't even matter what words you use, as long as you sing.

7. Hold your baby in an upright position after feedings and use smaller and more frequent feedings, especially if you have a crying baby after a feeding. Make sure you are burping your baby after feedings using multiple burping positions.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your health-care provider if you have difficulty calming your baby. Your baby may be sick.
• Breastfed babies may not burp.
• Never shake your baby to make them stop crying; you can cause significant brain damage and even death within 15 seconds. If you become frustrated with your baby's crying, put her down for 10 minutes in a safe place until you are calmer.

Resources

• Buy a Baby Bjorn at the Baby Bjorn website.
• Follow this link to buy a Maya Wrap.
• To calm a crying baby, read the Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Karp.

[Allandra]

on 7/21/2007 All newborn babies are as different as night and day. What works for one parent may not work for another. Only time and experiment with different techniques will help you solve that fussy baby.

I find that a routine works best for baby. Breast feed, a warm bath and then quiet time each night worked best for mine.