Bounce and/or rock the baby in your arms Gently pat the baby’s back Hold your baby while rocking in a rocking chair Go for a walk with your baby Place the baby in a swing Place your baby on your knees and gently sway him/her from side to side Rock your baby in a cradle if you have one Sit on an exercise ball and bounce up and down while holding your baby Sway with the baby in your arms Take the baby for a car ride Walk slowly around the room with your baby
Turning on a white noise machine Soft singing Humming Turning the radio on static Turning on the vacuum in the other room Running a faucet Playing soft music Playing nature sounds
Just remember that, much like a warm bath, some babies can actually be more agitated after a massage, so you should be vigilant when you try it so you see how your baby feels.
Look at your fish tank, a bright painting, or anything else exciting in your environment Turn on your overhead fan Dim the lights Move to your backyard or front porch Give your baby a new toy
Additionally, your baby may be feeling too hot or cold in the clothes. Feel your baby’s skin and make sure this isn’t a factor.
If you’re trying to make a change, you can try to ease the baby into it, by going for a walk 15 minutes earlier every day instead of taking a walk 2 hours earlier one day, for example.
Even if your baby is acting very fussy and is active, this may be a sign that he/she feels overworked and needs some help calming down.
See what an impact turning down the sound or the lights may have on your baby. You’d be surprised by how much better your baby may instantly feel. If you are introducing new people to the baby, try to do it one at a time in a calm, gentle way. Your baby is likely to feel overwhelmed and fussy if there are ten new relatives hovering over him all at once. Or it is in the middle of a loud restaurant rather than a quiet living room.
If your baby is crying, ask yourself when the last time you held your baby was. If more than a few hours have passed, then you should give your baby more physical affection immediately.
The more attuned you are to your baby’s needs and to what he/she is telling you, the more easily you’ll be able to soothe your baby.
You can talk to a pediatrician about the colic, but unfortunately, there is no real cure. The most the doctor may do is to recommend gripe water or mylicon drops for your child. You will also be told to have patience, even if that’s not what you wanted to hear. You can also talk to your doctor about other problems that could be causing your child to cry, such as your diet if you’re breastfeeding, acid reflux, or allergies to certain food.
Over 1000 babies die a year from Shaken Baby Syndrome. It is 100% preventable. Shaking your baby can lead to death, brain damage, mental disabilities, seizures, and even blindness.
Avoid letting your baby cry and cry, but sometimes you will find yourself unable to discover why the baby is crying. This can be upsetting to everyone. But the good news is that rarely do these episodes cause any lasting harm, either. Sometimes you never will find out why all the crying, and it is OK. Life goes on. Sometimes you cannot immediately soothe a baby. Sometimes you cannot feed a baby immediately, or change his/her diaper, or give him/her attention. For example, you are driving home and cannot pull over to feed your baby. It may make him/her upset, but these situations occur and human babies will survive if you cannot drop everything immediately and remedy the situation. If you are overwhelmed as a caregiver, when these crying jags occur it is OK to sometimes take a few minutes to yourself. Take a quick shower. Call your mother. These times can cause even the most loving mother or father to feel short-tempered. Sometimes stepping away for a few moments can really help you deal with this sort of situation.
Try your calming methods one at a time until you have a strong sense of what really works. You may be surprised to find that you did not need to go outside or bring out that new toy all along.
