Hearing your little one cry can be absolutely heartbreaking and can leave you feeling helpless, confused, and just plain down and out. If you’ve already checked out the obvious reasons for crying (hungry, dirty diaper, cold or hot, sleepy), and there aren’t any other factors at play like a fever or dehydration, then fear not! I’ve come across some easy ways to calm your baby down. The idea is to recreate a semblance of the womb. That was your baby’s happy place. Take him back there and show him that he’s safe and sound.
- The 5 S’s. In the bestseller, The Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp uncovers the 5 S’s to soothing a baby: 1) swaddle, 2) side or stomach position, 3) shush, 4) swing, and 5) suck. Each kid prefers a different combination of these tactics, but believe me, they all work. Read the book. It’s a miracle worker.
- A warm bath. My babies love bath time. They are mesmerized by the faucet of flowing water and are so blissful when I pour warm water over their bare tummies. Just like us adults, they feel relaxed after a bath and are calmer when you follow up with a feed or putting them down to sleep.
- Skin to skin. Babies want to feel close to you and much like their first few days of life, skin to skin time works wonders long after infancy. Remove your baby’s clothing (leave his diaper on along with a cap if it’s cold) and place him gently on your chest with his arms and legs in a froggy position. Not only does skin to skin provide warmth, it helps regulate your baby’s temperature, heart rate, and even boosts breast milk production for mom. Read more about the benefits here. Daddy and other loved ones can do skin to skin too. Babies can never get enough!
- Sing. Sing to your little one. I watched a Ted Talk called “What Babies Learn Before They’re Born” where speaker Annie Murphy Paul explains that a baby learns to identify his mother’s voice before he’s born. Singing songs that you sang during your pregnancy will sound familiar and nostalgic and might just be what they need to hear.
- White noise. Bookmark this YouTube link, White Noise for 10 hours, stat! It claims to help colicky babies calm down. I play it for my twins and it puts them in a trance. It’s hypnotizing. I believe it’s because this whirring sound is what they heard when they were in the womb, and it causes them to reset.
Over time, you’ll find that your babies become easier to read. Above all else, always trust your gut. You know your baby’s needs better than anyone else.
