A crying baby can be gut-wrenching. You want to soothe their every pain but you’re exhausted and you don’t know what to do.
It can make you feel completely helpless.
But babies cry for all kinds of reasons and most of the time you can figure out what they’re trying to tell you.
They may be hungry, tired, or wet. Other times they may cry because of colic or tummy pain.
That is the worst kind of crying and it usually lasts long enough to make you really worry. I know I’ve been there.
Having a few tricks up your sleeve can really help distract your babe or help lull him into slumber during these difficult moments when nothing else seems to work.
Below I have listed my favorite ways to soothe a baby so that you can use them too.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
6 Genius Tips to Calm a Crying Baby
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Turn On the Music
Lullabies are nice but you should try letting your baby listen to other genres and songs. Think about what you like to listen to when you want to chill out and start there.
My firstborn was absolutely fascinated with Bob Marley. Particularly the song ‘ Three Little Birds ‘.
That song would stop him in his little crying tracks and his face would turn to wonder.
Music calms the nervous system and can decrease heart and respiratory rates for babies, just like it does for you.
Infants especially are soothed and comforted by the familiar sound of Mom’s voice, even if she can’t carry a single tune. So sing out loud if you don’t want to put something else on.
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Remember baby’s ears are sensitive so keep the volume to a minimum.
Shhhhh, Rock, and Bounce
Infants get a calming response when they are being carried or rocked, heart rate slows, and muscles become more relaxed.
Gentle movement combined with a soothing shhhhh sound gives the baby something else to focus on besides crying.
The combination of sound and movement can be a very effective way to comfort your baby and stop them from crying.
Lights Out
Newborn babies are used to the quiet and darkness of the womb and can easily become overstimulated by what’s happening around them.
Bright lights, new sounds, a lot of activity, and even unusual smells can overwhelm them.
Turning the lights out and creating a dark, quiet, and peaceful environment will help your efforts to calm them down.
Make a Little Noise
More and more parents are using white-noise to soothe their baby, and they swear by it. It is thought that a white-noise machine or app can mimic the sound that infants hear in the womb.
White-noise can mask out other sounds that might normally be a nuisance. Here’s one made especially for babies.
A fan or vacuum cleaner might have the same result.
If kept too loud, too close, or left on too long white-noise machines can lead to hearing loss. Keep the volume low, across the room, and limit how long baby is exposed.
Change Up the View
Giving the baby something new to look at might just do the trick. Baby’s are naturally curious and just switching to another room can be enough to take their attention off of crying.
This is the same reason that babies might stop crying when you hand them off to another caregiver, someone new to interact with in the
moment.
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Take Care of Yourself
Babies can sense stress, anxiousness, and depressive mood, and if Mom is struggling they will too.
If you’re feeling tired, exhausted, or overwhelmed at the moment it will be a struggle to soothe and calm the baby.
Not everyone has the luxury of handing the baby off to another caregiver when it gets tough, so it’s important you have strategies and coping methods in place to keep a positive mindset and remain calm.
Going for a walk around the house or outside, deep breathing, counting to ten and taking a few minutes for yourself are quick
and effective ways to manage your own stress and put you in a better place to soothe and comfort your baby.
If nothing works and you just need a moment you could use something like the Graco Sense2Soothe Cry Detection Baby Swing.
It’s super awesome and it will help distract your baby while you take a break. Every mama and baby should have one of these.
I wish you all the luck in the world. There will be good times and harder times.
Those tearful moments when your baby can’t stop crying will come and go. Knowing how to handle those moments will make life a little bit easier for both of you.
If you loved this post and found it helpful it would be awesome if you could share it on Pinterest or Facebook so other mamas can find it too!
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When you’re a new mom or expecting a baby one of the biggest hurdles is sleep.
You don’t have to feel helpless though because there are some good strategies to get your baby on a sleep routine.
Hang on tight mama, sleep is on the horizon. Check out these tips to get the sleep rolling for you and your little one.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
9 Ways To Get Your Baby Into A Gentle Sleep Routine
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Wait until your baby is old enough
You should give it a little time in the beginning.
During that first couple of weeks, your baby is figuring out life. They need you to hold, cuddle, and love them!
Don’t get overly anxious about starting a sleep routine when they are newly born.
After everything starts to settle down you’ll be able to begin working on a gentle routine that will allow you both to get enough rest.
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Start to establish a routine early
Your baby doesn’t have to be a great sleeper for you to start a sleep routine with them.
Reading a book, cuddling, and taking a warm bath are all great ways to lullaby your baby to sleep.
You can start this routine when they are first born up until they don’t like it anymore. Spending that extra quality time with your baby will never be something you regret.
Developing the perfect sleep environment
When you are preparing your nursery you should consider different elements that will help your baby sleep better. Dark curtains that don’t let in too much light are a good idea.
A fan or a white noise appliance can be very soothing too.
There are some great ones on Amazon like the Cloud B Sleep Bear. We own this and it’s seriously awesome. I used it with all three of my little ones and it’s lasted the test of time.
The temperature is important too. You don’t want your babe to be too hot or cold
. No one likes to sleep when they’re sweating or freezing and your babies are no exception.
Prep the nursery with the right gear
When I was pregnant, it was super important that I had the right gear for my baby.
I always researched to make sure we got the best and safest products available.
In doing research, I visited the Women’s Choice Award website and saw that Sealy Baby had earned the Award consistently since 2013.
They’re highly recommended by 9 out of 10 of their customers as well as moms across America.
So if you’re planning your nursery, make sure you add Sealy Baby’s mattress and bedding to your list.
The Sealy Select 2-Cool 2-Stage Crib Mattress and the Sealy Stain Defense Crib Mattress Pad are both products a new mom needs to have in the nursery.
It has stain repellent and releases technology to help keep stains off the mattress.
Plus, this crib mattress pad is hypoallergenic and will keep your crib mattress like-new for many years.
The Sealy Select 2-Cool 2-Stage Crib Mattress offers everything you could possibly want in a crib mattress.
It offers your baby the firmness of an ultra-sturdy and lightweight polyethylene core with a Cool-Tex waterproof and stain-resistant fabric cover that resists bacterial and fungal growths and many viruses for luxury and comfort.
This is my favorite product as far as mattresses are concerned, I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s the best money can buy at an excellent price point.
Swaddling
I’m sure by now you’ve heard of swaddling.
Swaddling can help calm and control your baby’s startle reflex.
When she startles she can suddenly wake up and it can cause a lot of broken sleep for everyone.
Swaddling your baby tight will keep them more relaxed and she will sleep deeper. The Halo Sleepsack is a great option.
Dreamfeed
When your baby is still really young and needs all those breastfeeding sessions you can use this technique.
Breastfeeding them for a good while right before bed will help them sleep longer because their little tummies won’t be as empty.
Once they’re older it’s good to find other ways of soothing them to sleep but before they’re 4 months old you can dreamfeed them So they’ll sleep more soundly.
Don’t rush in every time your babe cries
Sometimes he will make little sounds or cry at night.
He may be dreaming or startling and you may want to rush in to check on him. But chances are, at least some of the time, that he’ll go right back to sleep.
So give it a moment and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get lucky.
With that being said, if your baby starts really crying, go on in.
I don’t believe in letting a baby ‘cry it out ‘. When a baby cries it’s because they need you and when you don’t come they can feel confused, abandoned, and frightened.
Crying is the way your babe communicates with you so respond, don’t ignore. Whoever came up with the method of allowing a baby to ” cry it out ” is lazy and crazy.
Just my opinion and I’m not afraid to share it.
Take care of yourself, mama
In the route to getting your baby on a sleep routine, take care of yourself.
This includes going to bed at a decent time and taking naps when the baby naps.
This can be hard if you feel out of control and busy but getting your rest will help you be a better, happier mom.
Take a break when you need it
Getting a baby on a sleep routine can make you feel bonkers.
That is why taking turns with your spouse is a good idea.
Let your baby get used to both of you during the nighttime sleep routine.
This is a great idea, just in case one of you needs to be absent during an evening.
The Last Word
The best thing to do to get you both on the right path is to make your baby as comfortable as possible and get them used to sleepy time cues and you’ll both work your way to a better night’s sleep.
Good Luck!
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