We know Mama, a crying baby is never fun and it causes our mom anxiety to sky rocket.. But what if? What if there was a way to calm your crying baby to sleep. OH there is.
1) Check every possible cause first
This part is pretty instinctual, but can be hard to do when you're flustered! Is their diaper wet? Are they hungry? Do they need sleep/cuddles? Is there a hair wrapped around a toe? Diaper rash? Sometimes the answer is as simple as that and they will calm down.
2) Stay Calm
Your little can sense your anxiety and it will only make them more anxious … aka MORE Crying. Try to relax and think of something other than the crying. I know its hard. We want our babes to be happy all the time!
3) Swaddle
I cannot say it enough. Swaddle your little one. It makes them feel like they are in the womb again (safe place). This may instantly calm them down. If not try holding them close to you while swaddle.
4 + 5) Skin-to-Skin OR Baby Wearing
Probably my all time favorite trick. A little skin-to-skin action with your baby. PS. Even Daddy can do this too. Almost instantly calms them and is also really good for their development. If you have a baby wrap, wear your little one when they are upset. This is also a great tip to getting things done around the house. Your movements will again make them feel like they are in the womb, plus they are close to your heart.
6) Rocking or Walking with Baby
You can literally never go wrong when you rock your baby. Go into their nursery, quiet the room, dim lighting, and rock away. I’ll also add walking around with your baby. It almost seems they know when you stand up and calm down. Then start crying again when you sit ... LOL.
7) Lavender Bath
This is a good tip to calm mama, too! If you want to hop in a lavender bath with your baby - do it! The lavender will calm your baby and not only that, it may put them to sleep after the bath. What more can you ask for? Often babies who are crying and just won't latch will finally breastfeed if you lay in the bath with them.
8) Tiger hold
There's a really nifty position often called the "tiger hold" where you lay baby belly down on your forearm. Just let their limbs hang down! You'll know really fast if this position works - it will instantly calm them.
9) Fresh Air
This never really worked with my daughter, but some people swear by walking outside with the crying baby. Could be that the temperature change snaps the baby out of their funk.
10) Sensory Input
Sometimes babies get so caught up in the crying that they can't pay attention to anything else. A good way to jar them out of this state is to try and activate all their senses. A loud white noise, like a vacuum cleaner. Holding them and lightly jumping in place. A gentle massage. Cold or hot air on their skin. Adding all these together might look like getting baby naked, standing outside on the patio and hopping around next to a loud fan while patting baby's back. Weird for sure, but whatever works, eh?
At the end of the day, babies cry. It’s just part of how they communicate and it’s completely normal. Sometimes we don’t know exactly why they are crying and what they want but with these tips - any baby will calm down. Just be patient mama.
Here's a printable to add to the fridge:
