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Help! The Baby’s Crying Again!!
“Techniques & Suggestions to calm your baby.”
From Hands-on Experience
Written By:
Jennifer Sina
Does your baby cry frequently?? And does your pediatrician say nothing is physically wrong??
Of course all babies cry, but some cry a whole lot more than others. These babies are called fussy, colicky, or high-maintenance.
No one can tell you exactly why your baby behaves this way or give you a cure for the unknown reason.
When my baby was born she was very demanding, so I did a lot of research – when she gave me the chance of course.
I put (almost) everything here for you that I learned from research or that I simply figured out on my own. I tried to make my suggestions as brief as possible – I know you don’t have much time to read – you have a baby to take care of!!!
Whether you’re pregnant now or have a demanding baby, this is full of tips for you. Some of them I’m sure you’ll already know, but there’s bound to be some you haven’t thought of, or didn’t remember to try.
Here’s a list of topics that I’ll be talking about:
1. Common Sense Checklist - We all have common sense, but…
2. Swaddling, rocking, and shushing - These are the ones almost everyone will suggest – but let me share my variations…
3. Holding the Baby – there’s more than one way…
8. Bath Time
10. Helpful store bought items
13. More possibilities to consider
We all have common sense, but when a baby is crying you might forget the simplest things. These are all very simple, but should always be considered.
Hungry
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When is the last time baby ate?
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Did baby have a good feeding?
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Did baby spit a lot of it up?
Diaper need changing?
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When was baby last changed?
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Does the diaper smell bad?
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Check diaper anyway, maybe it’s on too tight
Tired?
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When was baby’s last nap?
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Was it a good nap?
Too hot or cold?
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How are you dressed compared to baby? That’s the best way to judge
Look over all body parts of baby
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There could be a hair wrapped around a finger or a toe.
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Something uncomfortable could be stuck in a crease, crack, or crevice.
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There are a lot of cute little chubby rolls on baby for things to hide in - Check neck, under arms, tush, legs, and fingers and toes.
*TIP* Keep track of babies feeding schedule. Try and feed baby before the baby demands. This will lessen the crying, and make you and baby happier.
Also the more baby cries, the more air baby takes in which promotes gas.
2. Swaddling, rocking, and shushing
These are the ones almost everyone will suggest – but let me share my variations.
Swaddling:
When you have your baby most hospitals will teach you this, but not always.
Swaddling is very important. Almost all babies need to be swaddled most of the time. They feel more secure in the warmth and the tightness of the blanket. Remember they were in the uterus for nine months. It was warm and they couldn’t move around to much – it was pretty tight quarters, so swaddling makes them comfortable.
A large square blanket works best. I always folded down the top corner and laid babies head on it.
Fold the bottom of the blanket across baby’s feet and legs.
Fold sides, one at a time across the body of the baby.
Now you have a swaddled baby – snug as a bug in a rug.
Or as I always said to my daughter… my little peanut in her shell.
Rocking:
Babies love that rocking motion…
Use a good old fashioned rocking chair, there is a reason why they’ve been around so long.
Try a Glider rocker, they’re nice too. Most come with an ottoman – it’s nice to be able to put your feet up – if baby let’s you. This is what we had in our daughter’s room. It was nice to have for those feeding in the middle of the night, when you didn’t want to go far.
And then there’s you… You standing and rocking baby back and forth in you arms. This is what my baby insisted on most of the time. She didn’t like it when I would sit down.
Adding a slight bounce or a dip to the rocking can help too. Faster rocking might also work better some times.
There are a lot more of additions you can add to your rocking motion that can also be beneficial, baby will let you know what’s best.
Shushing:
Saying “Shush” continuously for some reason is very calming to a baby
This really does work!!
Using the “ch ch ch” sound works too. I’ve used this while rocking, while she was laying in the crib, and when she was in the infant carrier in our vehicle.
The “ch” sound always seemed to work better for me. So that’s the one I always favored. A combination of the two, has also worked nicely.
3. Holding the Baby – there’s more than one way…
There are all different ways to hold a baby. Baby might like one way better than another. Then tomorrow baby might just change it to a different way.
Here are the different types:
Traditional Cradle:
This of course is the most common that almost everyone should know. The babies head rests in the fold of your arm, while the rest of your arm and your other arm are wrapped gently around baby.
Football Cradle:
One of baby’s arms goes down and under yours. You and baby are basically chest to chest. This hold is common for breastfeeding.
Tummy on Forearm:
Holding baby this way applies pressure to baby’s belly. This makes baby feel better, when there’s a lot of built up gas.
Upright:
Lay baby chest to chest with you. Babies head will be resting on your shoulder.
***this type of hold is an especially good one for gassy babies. It leaves more opportunity for baby to burp.
Forward upright:
This one is great for when you’re walking around doing assorted things. It gives baby more of a chance to see their environment. And again being upright gives more opportunity for burping.
This is a great one! It can calm baby, make baby happy, and put baby to sleep too. Your voice was the main thing baby heard for 9 months, so baby loves to hear it.
Make a list of all the songs you know. Keep adding to it as you remember more, you’ll probably be surprised how many there is.
You don’t know all the words to a song?? Make it up! It’ll probably be more fun for you, and baby won’t know the difference.
Can’t think of any words??? Put la, la, la to a tune, or hum. Baby will like that too.
Music
Turn the radio on, or put in a CD.
Mozart for Children worked for me most of the time, but I listened to it while I was pregnant too. That might’ve had something to do with it also.
Country music worked the best for me and my daughter through. I didn’t listen to it while I was pregnant either, so there’s no connection there. Seeing as how it seemed to be my daughter’s favorite, I do listen to it now on occasion.
1980’s music worked great for my husband.
Babies love music, so try all types until you find the one that works for you. You’ll be able to tell what baby likes best.
Dancing
Sometimes the singing or music isn’t enough. Throw in some dance steps.
For at least a week, maybe more, this is the main way my daughter would stop crying and fall asleep. We did both fast and slow dancing to country music (her favorite of course). I think she liked the fast dancing best.
An added bonus is that it’s good exercise. It helped me to take off some of that extra baby weight.
Is there too much going on?????
A lot of noise, people, or too many objects can over-stimulate baby. Move your baby to a calmer environment & you should get a calmer baby.
Sometimes you can also over-stimulate baby by holding them too much. Lie baby down in the crib, or on a nice blankie. Baby might not want you to leave, but might not want to be held either.
Step outside, the fresh air will do you both some good.
Babies love to look at the leaves on the trees, and up at the sky.
Only remember to dress baby properly. Put a hat on that cute little head, and try and keep those ears covered. Primarily try to keep baby out of the wind. There’s an Old Wives Tale about baby “swallowing wind”. It’s been around a long time, so there’s probably truth to it. Plus the wind blowing into baby’s ears can cause infection, so it’s best to be safe than sorry.
Carry baby or use a stroller, they’re both great.
Babies love to be held. So the warmth and comfort of you and the scenery of the great outdoors can’t be beat.
Strollers allow baby to lie down alone comfortably, and also is giving you the break from holding baby. The stroller gives the vibration that all babies love.
“What if it’s raining?” you ask. Grab an umbrella!! The sound of the raindrops hitting the top of the umbrella is quite relaxing.
“It’s cold out…” So what!! Almost all babies have that one-piece suit that zips right up, and even has a hood. Baby is all warm; nice, quick, and easy.
If the weather is just way too nasty, and you don’t think baby should go out; go by a window, or a glass door. It’s not as nice as being outside, but it might temporarily put baby at ease.
The first time our daughter saw snow she was 5 months old. I was changing her diaper on a blanket on the floor of our living room. She was just smiling away looking towards the window. I looked over, and I found that it was snowing outside. When we finished with the diaper I held her up by the window so she could see it better. She actually giggled, I couldn’t believe it!!That made the list of the cutest things she’s done. Of course I bundled her up and we went outside so she could fully enjoy it. She loved it!!
Mother Nature is truly one of the greatest Mothers!
8. Bath Time
Does you baby enjoy the normal bath time?
If Baby normally enjoys a bath, try that to calm baby. I know a lot of people don’t like to change baby’s routine, but sometimes you may need to. You can always give baby another bath at their normal time too. That way yours and babies routine won’t get changed. They do like the repetition of routine!
Sometimes running the water itself will calm baby down. I’ve had my daughter fall asleep before while I was rinsing off dishes.
There is a scented bath (lavender) that claims to relax baby. I have used it, and I can’t really say if it helped to relax my baby more than a normal bath or not. I did enjoy using it though; I thought it had a really nice fragrance to it. I didn’t care for the lavender scented lotion though – it was too perfumed for my taste. Try them for yourself; see if you and baby like them.
When you get a massage don’t you feel more relaxed??
This is something that can be wonderful for you and baby. It strengthens that wonderful bond between the two of you. Combining the warmth of your touch, the skin on skin contact, all provided by the massage is so peaceful.
As you know baby is very delicate, so do research on infant massage before you dive right in. There are certain techniques you should follow. There are classes that you can take, which is what I did. My class was offered at a local hospital, and it was free – so the price was right. There are also books and articles that are available. After you educate yourself more on the different ways, you can then make it your own.
I still give the massage every time after my daughter’s bath. I know she looks forward to it, because every time she sees me grab the bottle of lotion she gets a huge smile on her face.
10. Helpful Store-bought Items
The Pacifier
This is one thing I really didn’t want to use. It always made me sad to see those cute little baby faces being blocked by that big, old pacifier stuck in their mouth.
Come to find out babies have the natural instinct to suck. They even suck on their hands in the uterus. With some babies the need is greater than others.
My daughter always acted like she was hungry. When I would try and feed her she would cry because she didn’t want to eat. I realized she just wanted something to suck on. So… I tried giving her a pacifier, and she took to it right away.
I only gave her the pacifier when she really seemed to need it. This was usually when she was tired, around naptime and bedtime. It keeps her from crying and makes her content, so I guess it’s a good thing.
Swings
If at all possible, every parent should own some type of swing. If nothing else worked, I would say 85% of the time, the swing would stop our daughter from crying.
There are several types of swings in the stores. They all basically do the same thing, but I think some of them even come with too many accessories.
There are a couple things that I’d like to recommend.
The swings that have the open tops are much easier to get baby in and out of
The battery operated (I believe) is much nicer than the wind-up. The battery type keeps running until you go to turn it off, and the wind-up stops on its own which usually wakes baby up. Baby either wakes from the rocking stopping, or from the sound of you winding it up again.
I’ve had both, and of course those are just my opinions. But, I would still rather have an inexpensive wind-up one than not have one at all.
Bouncy Seats
These are normally more useful when baby gets older, but the seats that have the vibration setting can be useful right away.
My husband would take a blanket and put it at the end of the seat, and lay our baby kind of diagonally on her bouncy seat. She would calm down with the vibration on and occasionally fall asleep. NEVER leave the baby unattended like this though!!!
Same as the swings there are several different types you can chose from. I think the vibration is the main thing to look for, besides that you could go with a fancy model or a simple one.
As I said earlier, they’re also useful when baby gets older too. My baby enjoyed her first meal (cereal) in hers when she was still too small for her high chair. My daughter also sat on the counter in it, and played with her toys while I did dishes.
They can be quite useful.
Baby Mozart
This is a video made by the Baby Einstein Company (now Disney). It is wonderful!!!
It plays different music all from Mozart, and then provides a great show for baby combining toys and puppets.
This video grabbed our baby’s attention when she was less than one month old. I was so shocked!!! When she got older she loved it even more. It was the only thing that she would stay content for half an hour.
Baby Bach is the same concept, only it plays different music by Bach instead.
Baby Van Gough is great and focuses on color
Baby Shakespeare is for language.
Baby Neptune is based on things in the water.
Number Nursery is for beginning counting (1-5)
And there are many, many more!! The ones that my daughter and I have seen were very enjoyed and educational.
The Baby Einstein Company also offers a variety of other products such as flash cards, books, and toys.
Stroller
I mentioned the stroller earlier in “The Great Outdoors”. I would have to say this is a must have.
All different styles are available; choose one that fits you best. We chose the more practical type with the infant carrier car sear attached to it. It can be used right away from birth, and quite some time after that.
You most likely have a few of the things I’m getting ready to mention: and they might be able to help you.
Mirror
Babies love other babies. Show the baby themselves, and see what they think.
Vacuum
It may sound strange, but it does work. My husband was vacuuming in another room, and our baby stopped crying, and soon after fell asleep.
After that I have vacuumed carrying our baby, and she has fallen asleep almost every time. The carpet looked much nicer too.
Although this process will only work for so long. When our daughter got older she could care less if the vacuum was running or not. She would keep doing what she was doing whether it be crying or playing.
Dust buster
This works along the same as the vacuum. I was trying to change a diaper and my daughter would not stop crying. I heard a noise coming from down our hallway, and it was my husband with the dust buster in his hand. It stopped the crying. It may sound odd to try, but it made all three of us much happier.
Ceiling fan
Most babies love to look up at ceiling fans. They seem to almost be hypnotized by them. We have several in our home, and our daughter loves them. It’s strange but sometimes they didn’t even have to be running for her to stare at one.
Washer and Dryer
I’ve never tried this, because our washer and dryer are in the basement. But I’ve heard that the vibration is used to calm the baby. Try it out next time you’re washing clothes, and see what happen – just remember never leave baby unattended.
Your keys
They’re loud and shiny, and might grab baby’s attention enough to stop crying. Please don’t let baby chew on them though; can you imagine how many germs are on them???
Television
Most babies like the sounds and the movement they see on the television. If you do chose to use the television, please use it wisely. It can result in an unhealthy child if used badly. Limit the amount of time you child watches, even an hour a day is probably too much. And please choose educational programs.
Your vehicle
Most people will swear by this idea, and that it will put a baby to sleep. It did not work for me. Our baby strongly disliked going for a ride in the vehicle!!
At first I thought her car seat was bothering her, but when I would attach it to her stroller she was fine. It took her a long time to be tolerant of traveling, but it might work for you though. Most babies do enjoy going for a ride.
Consider this preventative medicine. The more baby stays happy, of course, the less baby will cry.
Make diaper changing fun. Have toys in the area, and sing a silly song reserved only for diaper time.
Keep a variety of toys of different types of toys. Baby has a pretty short attention span; keeping things new and exciting will help.
Have play areas in different rooms. Don’t you enjoy different scenery? Baby does too! Put grouping of toys in a few rooms of your home. Baby will probably appreciate the change.
Take a break!! You need to be happy too. I hope you’ve heard before that baby feels how you feel. Sometimes just taking a shower can help you relax a little. Ask a friend or family member to help you out, even 15 minutes can make a difference. Most people will be glad to do it for you. If there’s absolutely no one for you to ask, go to the hospital, or a local church, they will understand and they will help you. Remember, even Super-Mom needs some time to herself.
13. More Possibilities to Consider
Here are a few more thoughts I thought were worth mentioning.
Maybe you need a second opinion. You’re with baby the most so you’re the only person that can decide if your doctor may be wrong. It can’t hurt to get another opinion; you might need to consider it.
Have you tried Gas drops? Our pediatrician said sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. He was right. They didn’t always work, but when they did work our baby was sure happier after the big burps. Don’t use them too frequently though… please ask your pediatrician about proper dosage.
Are you breastfeeding? Do you have an adequate supply of milk? Do you have a proper diet? Certain things you eat that don’t upset your stomach can upset babies.
Do you need to change your formula? The iron could be too much for baby to handle, or baby could be lactose intolerant. Ask your pediatrician.
How about a chiropractor? Baby could be out of alignment from the birthing process. This can affect their digestive system, along with other aspects. Make sure the chiropractor you choose has experience with newborns. As you know baby is very delicate.
We’ve come to our end…
So I’ll say that I hope I’ve helped.
Just keep remembering how much you love that little baby of yours, and you’ll make it through. Your baby won’t cry forever, and you have a lot of great experiences ahead of you!!
Good Luck, and Happy Parenting!!
Jennifer Sina
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