Parenthood doesn’t come easy for all especially when you just have become parents for your new born baby. It takes time for you to understand the meaning of your crying baby whether hungry, wet, tired or bored.
Well, as new parents, figuring out what your baby exactly wants seems to be challenging, frustrating and even scary for you. Then, how to soothe your crying baby all you need to know:
1. Swaddle your baby
Swaddling your baby in a receiving blanket makes your little bundle of joy feels secure and cozy. Many experts think swaddling soothes babies and gives them a womb-like feeling. And most of the parents believe that swaddling helps their babies settle down faster and make them sleep longer. Some babies choose to leave their arms out of the swaddle, either because they self-soothe by sucking their fingers or just because they like their freedom. You can also help your baby to leave their arms out of the swaddle by keeping them with the blanket’s top edge at armpit level rather than a chin-level.
2. Encourage sucking
Babies like to soothe themselves with nonnutritive sucking, which doesn’t fill their stomach but does calm their nerves. If your baby cries, help her find her thumb, finger or fist or just offer one of your own fingers for a stint. Binkies or pacifiers can also do wonders, though you might wish to prefer waiting until breastfeeding is well suited before introducing one.
3. Wear Baby in a Front-Pack Carrier
Walking around with wearing your baby is a great method of soothing her. Infact babies love that feeling of closeness and rhythms of your footsteps. The carrier must be flexible because you need to have your hands free for doing multitasking. Keep your baby’s face on your body in a front-pack carrier or a sling for the first three months when your baby needs, the extra support of your head. Try using sling especially on-the go nursing and can transfer her side or back hold when your baby gets older. If your baby resist at being in a sling or front carrier at first, don’t give up on it completely. Babies usually come around and end up enjoy being carried around like this.
4. Rock in a Chair or Glider
Rocking your baby in a rocking glider or chair is considered to be one of the life’s most embraced moment. Modern parenting give some hands-free rocking options such as when your baby makes fuss, place her in a vibrating bouncy seat or an automatic cradle or in a motorized baby swing. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions pertaining to the age and weight restrictions for these devices. Try not to make your baby’s firm habit of nodding off in them because your baby might become dependent on the motion to fall asleep every time. Instead, let her get into the verge of sleep, and then transfer her to her cradle.
5. Soothe with White Noise
Many babies would like to get calm down with rhythmic whooshing sounds which may remind them of the womb. Check if on turning a vacuum cleaner, a fan or hair dryer may work to block out the random noises that can disconcert your baby while trying to settle down. You can also give a try out to special white-noise machine or mobile. If you’re in a tweak and don’t have your gadgets handy, you can simply shush your baby with making sounds like “Shhhhhh…shhhh…shhhh…”
6. Sing a Song
Your baby has no perfect idea whether you’re going to sing off in a perfect pitch for her. In fact, your baby knows very well whenever she’s being crooned to, you’re with her always. So the next time your baby becomes cranky, sing her a perfect song or whatever song comes to your mind. That’s the way of giving comfort to her just by the sound of your voice.
7. Wash Away the Tears
If you baby makes sweet-sounding moves at bath time, fill up the bath tub with warm water and give this chilling out routine every time she baths. You can also try out with a little aromatherapy. In addition, add a few drops of a lavender or chamomile infused soap to the water, giving you a soothing effect as well. Remember that some babies get invigorated by the bath. If this is applicable for your little one, ensure to schedule your baby’s bath time before her playtime.
8. Give a Massage
Calm down the nerves of your baby from any anxiety or disturbance by giving a relaxing massage. Whenever your little one cries, you can do the same. You can experiment using a special baby massage oil, or a lotion, though neither is essential. Give your baby a gentle touch that is firm enough not to be ticklish.
• Stroke your baby’s chest from the center outward and make small circles on her stomach, around her belly button which gives her a cozy feeling.
• Gently rub her legs and arms between your hands, take turns with each limb, try out repeating the same with your hands in a “milking” movement as you stroke each limb from your baby’s core to the extreme.
• Unfold your baby’s fist and give a rubbing on her palms and fingers.
• Give a soothing massage on the sole of your baby’s feet and unfold her toes too.
• You may try turning your baby on her tummy and give a stroking effect from her back from side to side, then up and down only if your baby is ready for it.
9. Try the “Colic Carry”
Whenever your baby cries inconsolably, do you know exactly what that means? Well, it means that you need to give pressure on your baby’s tummy which is known as the “colic carry” — to help relieve gas and colic:
• Make your baby lay down on her tummy and your forearm, cradle her head in your hand. Place your other hand for stabilizing her and rubbing her back.
• Make your baby lay down across your lap, with one knee on her tummy and the other placing support on her head.
• Hold her upright i.e. make her stand still with her abdomen on your shoulder.
• Make your baby lay down on her back and push her knees up to her tummy for few seconds, then release and repeat for her to relieve gas.
10. Get outside
The movement may be all your baby needs to calm right down. Fresh air gives your baby a good environment as well as to moms. Sometimes it may feel hard to get ready for a walk when your child is fussing, you won’t be sorry if you continue. The change in air, light, temperature, sounds, sights and smells is likely to change the mood of your baby and yours as well. If weather looks bad or your neighbourhood isn’t a good for walking around with, try strapping your baby into your car’s seat and take a drive.
11. Entertain
Do you know young babies can get bored too? And if they do, it makes them to become choosy. Keep your tiny toddler entertained, narrate things through your actions, replete with silly noises and animated expressions. You may also sit on the floor with your baby and show how toys rattle and spin. Some babies prefer to look at and listen you while you read a simple rhyming board book and others giggle if you turn on the tunes and dance with them.
12. Keep Calm and Carry On
If overstimulation appears to be problematic for you, take everything down a few grooves. Dim the lights, put your phone on vibration mode, turn off the music and start mellowing out with your baby. You need to understand that everything you do is completely new to your baby and at times becomes overwhelming. If your baby is colicky, it becomes important to make things calm and still in the late afternoon and evening when colic is usually at its peak.
Atlast, soothing your baby is not too hard instead you do it gently. Babies love to be cuddled all around which gives your warmth and affection every time they fuss around.