There’s nothing more heart wrenching than listening to a newborn cry. Sometimes they will stop the minute you pick them up. Other times they are hungry or need a clean diaper. However, what do you do if you’ve done all of that and they are still crying? Check out 10 tricks to help your crying newborn.
- Washing machine: Put the baby in its car seat and put the car seat on the washer while it’s running. The dryer will work too. The vibrations and sounds often mimic that of being in the womb and it will soothe the baby.
- Vacuum: Many times people try to be quiet around babies, but if you are quiet around your baby you will always need to be quiet around your baby if you catch my drift. You don’t want to spend your free time tip toeing around the house. The vacuum has an especially nice sound that babies find soothing because it again reminds them of being in the womb. Plus, you can get some vacuuming done; it’s a win-win situation.
- Swing: If you don’t own a baby swing you need to go out today and buy one. This is by far the most sanity saving tool for mothers on the market. They have improved over the years and now they include mobiles, vibrations and other soothing elements. The motion alone will help your baby stop crying and it is okay if they fall asleep in the swing.
- Shushing sound: This is a trick from the baby whisperer I think. It has worked wonders for me. Put your mouth up to the baby’s ear and say, “Shhhh” as loud as they are crying. It does no good if they can’t hear you.
- Arm swinging: No, I don’t mean you grab the baby by its arms and swing it. That would not be a good way to stop crying. Hold your baby tight in your arms and swing their weight in your arms from side to side. There’s something about the motion that they like. This can be combined with the above shooshing sound.
- Swaddling: Hopefully they covered this trick at the hospital, but just in case they didn’t this one is probably one of the most useful for newborns. Lay your baby on a baby blanket diagonally. Bring up the bottom point until it hits their feet. Then bring one side over and wrap it around the baby and follow that with the other side. Wrap the baby snuggly. Tighter than you think you should. Now you don’t need to get your foot up there for leverage or anything, but do it pretty tight. This mimics the close quarters in the womb.
- Rocking from side to side: This one is funny. Parents do this so much that you’ll sometimes catch them rocking when they are not holding the baby. Bounce the baby a little as you shift from one leg to the other leg in a rocking motion. It all needs to be smooth and non-jostling.
- Sing: It doesn’t matter what you sing, but I would recommend something slow and soothing. Try it sitting down in a rocking chair or try it standing while doing the above rocking motion. Your baby doesn’t care how well you sing either.
- Take a drive: Babies tend to fall asleep in the car so it stands to reason that you can use this technique if they don’t want to settle down for a nap or won’t stop crying. Something about the sounds of the road and the feel of the car that is very soothing for them.
- Patting on your lap: Sometimes newborns have trouble getting rid of gas on their own. We burp them when we get done feeding them, but sometimes it’s not enough. It’s hard to tell when to stop burping them. Is one or two burps enough? Try this technique, lay the baby on their tummy on your lap and pound on their back. Gentle pounding, but firmer than you might think as you are trying to work those gas bubbles up. If the baby doesn’t like it on their tummy you can get on the floor with them and lay them on a blanket and grab their feet and push their feet into their tummy and back out in a rocking sort of motion. Babies usually like this and it help to press and work the gas bubbles out. You’ll know it’s working when your baby starts passing gas.
