Helping Baby Stop Crying
5 Ways to Calm a Crying Infant
For newborns, the world is a bright, loud, unfamiliar place to which they are somehow transported. Babies communicate their fatigue, boredom, hunger, or frustration with their new surroundings in the only way they can – crying.
Parents, especially first-time parents, may want to cry themselves as they try to find ways to soothe their new baby. Although all babies are different, and each has his or her own preferences, there are many techniques recommended by pediatricians that tend to help newborns and infants calm down and relax. Five common methods are described here.
Swaddling Babies Helps Calm Them Down
"Newborns like to be snug for their first couple months of life...They are used to being in a confined space," note Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields in their popular parenting book Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice For Your Baby's First Year (Windsor Peak Press, 2006). Swaddling "reminds" babies of being in the womb, helping them calm down and stop crying when they are upset. In addition, a swaddled newborn tends to startle herself awake less often than an unswaddled baby, who can throw her unrestrained arms and legs out due to the Moro reflex and wake crying.
The following are steps to swaddle a baby:
- Place a large (at least 40" x 40") receiving blanket on a bed in a diamond shape.
- Fold the top corner down, making a horizontal line.
- Place the baby on her back on the blanket so that the tops of her shoulders are level with the horizontal line.
- Gently hold baby's right arm against her side, and draw the right side of the receiving blanket in tightly, pulling it over the baby's right arm but under her bottom.
- Gently hold baby's left arm against her side (or let her bring her fingers up to her mouth to suck on them), draw the left side of the blanket across the baby and fold it under baby's bottom to anchor it.
- Fold the bottom corner of the blanket up and tuck it in under the baby to hold the swaddle securely.
Carrying Baby in a Sling or Front Pack
According to Dr. Sears, author of The Baby Book (Little, Brown, and Co., 2003), babies who are frequently carried in a baby sling or front pack tend to cry less than babies who are less often carried. Many newborns in particular enjoy being carried by their mothers because the sling positions the baby near the mother's chest, where her heartbeat can be heard, just like in the womb.
Breastfeeding mothers may find carrying their babies in a sling especially convenient for easy and discreet feedings, an added benefit of this simple baby-calming technique.
Rocking and Swaying With Baby
Many babies are soothed by rhythmic swaying or gentle bouncing motions. Parents learn the best sedate "dance" to calm their infants by trial and error.
White Noise May Help Calm Baby
Some parents find that white noise, or low-decibel background sound, can help their baby calm down enough to fall asleep. Running the vacuum cleaner (in the next room) is one easy solution, while other parents may choose to play white noise CDs, such as recordings of ocean sounds.
Although occasional white noise is probably harmless, researchers caution that continuous exposure to white noise may slow development of the part of the brain that interprets sound. This is stated in the article "White Noise Delays Auditory Organization in Brain" published on the ScienceDaily.com on April 18, 2003. To be on the safe side, white noise should be used only in moderation.
Sucking A Pacifier or Thumb
Newborns and infants are often calmed by sucking on their mother's breast, a pacifier, or their fingers. In fact, suckling is almost a foolproof way to soothe a newborn, say Brown and Fields.
Parents who choose to give their babies a pacifier should note that extended pacifier use can affect mouth development and encourage children to use their mouths to explore their environment for a longer than usual period of time. Therefore, getting rid of the pacifier by the time the baby is 4 months old is recommended, write Brown and Fields.
Simple Methods To Soothe Babies
Five tried-and-true ways to calm down a crying baby include swaddling, carrying the baby in a sling or front pack, "dancing" with the baby, occasional use of white noise, and suckling. Parents should choose the best method or selection of methods that work for their child.
Five Ways to Calm a Crying Baby
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