No one knows more about sleepless nights than the parents of a newborn. The sleepless nights capped with endless crying doesn’t mean that there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel; you can soothe your newborn giving them and yourself restful nights.
Now babies cry for diverse reasons. However, when they are crying incessantly, and nothing seems to calm them down it can get a little frustrating trying to figure out what is wrong. If you have a fussy little one and you have done everything you can to calm them down, fear not because there is more that you can do that will work.
Here are six tips to help you soothe your newborn.
1. Rock Away
For some reason, babies simply love the back and forth motion of rocking. The trick is to hold your child close and rock away until they calm down.
You can get a little vigorous with it, but you should never shake your baby. To make things easier, get a rocking chair and use it as much as possible as a go-to soothing solution.
For babies in their 3rd to 6h month you could try a quality baby swing as a soothing option. These swings offer rhythmic motion and often feature soothing music to help your child calm down. Make sure to get a swing that is specifically designed for small babies to avoid them slumping over.
2. Wrap Up
The only environment a newborn baby knows is the womb, which wasn’t a comfortable or roomy space. However, that is the environment where they grew up in for nine months and adjusting to the outside world might take a while for them.
Swaddling is a traditional soothing method which gives newborns that womb-like feeling. It involves wrapping your baby cozily using a lightweight blanket with their arms folded across their chest.
The Kangaroo approach has been known to yield excellent results, particularly with preemies. It involves undressing your baby and having them lie down against your naked skin. Don’t forget to cover your child and yourself once positioned correctly.
The good old baby sling is yet another recommended wrap-up soothing method.
3. Turn the Noise Up
When your child was in the womb, they got accustomed to hearing sounds such as your heart pounding and blood rushing through your veins. While you might want a serene and quiet environment to keep your little one sleeping; turning up the noise might be a peaceful solution.
Consistent sounds like waves on a beach, waterfall, and rainfall are soothing enough for babies.
You can only turn a fan on or vacuum, and it will work like a charm. Sometimes making shushing sounds akin to what your child heard while in the womb will work as well.
4. Take a Bath
Your little one most likely loves bath time, and a dip in the baby tub could work in soothing your fussy one.
While bathing your child, try giving them a baby massage. The stroking is soothing and will further calm your child down.
If anything, the feel of warm water against their body is often enough to calm down a baby.
5. Walk Around
Sometimes a change of environment will do you and your child a world of good. Take walks around the block with your baby in a stroller or use a comfortable baby carrier.
You don’t have to leave the house; walking up and about within the house just might do the trick. You could also drive around with your baby in a car seat. The car’s consistent motion will often lull babies to sleep.
Hannah is professional writer who loves to research of unique topics and express her thoughts by content writing.