Babies cry. A lot. After all, it’s nature’s way of making sure all their basic needs are met. New parents can prepare themselves for the first few weeks (and years) with realistic expectations about newborn behaviors, what is normal, and what is not. Que the baby books or unsolicited advice from helpful family members.
Your Baby Consultant offers Newborn Care 101 class to expecting parents virtually over Zoom or privately in home. Send us an email for more info.
However you decide to prepare or not for baby, having some useful tools for soothing a crying baby is priceless. The following soothing methods can be used when you have first tried to feed baby and they are not hungry.
Here’s 12 Tips to Calm a Crying Baby
1) For a tired baby, swaddle with a blanket to prepare for sleep at every nap and bedtime.
2) Put your baby in motion by using a swing, bouncer vibration, front carrier or rocking them in your arms.
3) Give your baby a pacifier. Sucking is comforting.
4) Put your baby on its side while holding and awake and gently sway from side-to-side. AKA football hold.
5) Use a white noise machine or app on your iphone.
6) Lay baby on back on your lap and windshield wiper your legs side to side.
7) Lay baby on back and bicycle legs to help add with gas relief.
8) Hold baby over your shoulder and pat on back to encourage a burp to relieve tummy aches.
9) Put baby in a stroller and walk outside.
10) Is baby hungry? Feed baby the breast or bottle. Feeding baby may also help baby poop ironically and relieve tummy aches.
11) Ask someone to hold the baby. Pass baby off to a partner, relative or friend. And they may even have a strategy to calm baby.
12) If you ever feel anger or extreme frustration 🤯, lay baby safely on back in crib and walk away for 10 minutes to cool off. You need a mom or dad time out to RESET. And that’s okay. Best case scenario, baby cries and falls asleep within those 10 minutes.
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Feel free to send us an email with any questions or concerns.
xo, Mandy
