Nothing is more stressful and tiring for young parents than feeling helpless in the face of their child’s cries. And if it sometimes happens that this indicates a health problem, the cause is generally simple and will require the patience and observation of the parents for a good understanding and to calm the little one. Need to eat, want to drink, dirty diaper, irritated bottom, heat in the room… Baby only has one method of communication to let you know: crying! Swaddle the baby, take a ride in the car, swing from one leg to the other, slow dance with your baby in your arms, etc. Parents then use their imagination to calm their baby. Discover tips for soothing a newborn when nothing works.
1) Basic tips for calming a crying baby
Several simple and well-known tips can help soothe crying. Here are some of them:
-Make skin to skin with your child holding it against his heart will give him a feeling of security and tenderness. You can also wear it as a sling close to you, ensuring that its head is held in place for comfort.
-Massage your stomach using circular movements to relieve possible colic, common among toddlers.
-Speak to him gently or sing him a lullaby: your voice reassures him.
-Play music that you played during pregnancy or a soft, soothing sound. The babies are very receptive to surrounding sounds !
-Giving him a bath is very effective on little ones under three months old, because it reminiscent of amniotic fluid in utero.
Some parents also like to use a rocking chair for soothing rocking. Breastfeeding your baby on a rocking-chair also allows you to feed him while putting him to sleep!
2) The position of the Buddha
Certain postures help relieve crying, such as simply placing your child on his or her stomach on a firm surface to relieve digestive problems. The Buddha position is very useful during the baby’s first months, because it allows you to “contain” him well. However, you should avoid insisting too much if the position does not suit your baby, because all babies react differently to handling! To do it, simply sit your baby down with his legs bent and place your hand on his chest to hold his head at chin level. Afterwards, lean it slightly and gently forward. You can reinforce the massage by making it make light movements back and forth.
3) A pediatrician’s tip to calm baby’s cries
You have probably already seen this technique popularized by Dr. Robert Hamilton, an American pediatrician, on the Internet. This method is, however, very appreciated and known among pediatricians around the world for babies in their first months of life. It consists of delicately folding the baby’s arms onto his chest, holding them with one hand. With the other hand, hold his buttocks and tilt baby forward, at approximately 45°. With the hand that holds her buttocks, gently stir his pelvis or perform movements from bottom to top.
4) A dad’s unusual tip
Parents often like to share their tips on social media to help others. This is for example the case of Daniel Eisenman, a dad from California (United States) who found THE trick to calm his daughter. To do this, he simply makes the sound “Om”, the Sanskrit syllable from the Hindu religion which is supposed to represent the primordial sound of the universe. This sound, widely used in meditation, gives a sort of gentle buzzing that helps calm baby. Strange, but effective! Austin Miles Geter, another American dad who takes great care of his daughter, favors the gentle eyebrow massage several times on each side. In fact, it promotes sleep and calm by releasing oxytocin, the hormone of pleasure and well-being.