How to Reduce Stress in Babies

When your usually calm and peaceful baby exhibits signs of fussiness or fear, he may feel stressed or unsure of his environment. Follow these steps to pick up on your baby's cues, react accordingly and reduce his stress levels.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Observe what's going on around your baby. For example, if she's crying and seems uncomfortable after she's sat in her carseat for a few hours while you ran errands, try to adjust your schedule so you only make one errand stop a day instead of several.
2. Talk to your baby and tell him what's going on. Although your baby might not understand what you're saying, the comforting tone of your voice can put him at ease and reduce his stress.
3. Make frequent eye contact with your baby when you notice she's fussy. Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle look from a familiar face to calm your stressed-out baby.
4. Comfort your baby each time he cries. Doing so will not make your baby more dependent upon you but will instead allow your baby to eventually learn to calm himself and relieve his own stress late on.
5. Massage or gently rub your baby's arms, legs and torso to reduce her stress. Being touched in such a way not only can calm a fussy baby but can help her sleep better as well.
6. Adapt as your baby's stress triggers change over time. For example, if you recognize that your usually calm baby now shows signs of irritability right before eating, do not plan any events that will interfere with or delay mealtime.

Tips & Warnings

• Babies who don't receive comforting attention from their parents are unable to develop the internal ability to soothe themselves, so make sure you stay keenly aware of your baby's stress levels and comfort him often.