5 TRICKS TO SOOTHE A CRYING NEWBORN

Some babies cry a lot in the first few months of their life, which is very hard on the parents. This was the case with my daughter…she was suffering from reflux.

Talk to your doctor about your baby’s crying. A word that took me a long time to find and finally be listened to by the medical profession is UNCONSOLABLE, when we say that a baby cries, we often hear that crying is the only way babies express themselves and that long cries are not worrying. But if they’re inconsolable, you may need to look deeper into what’s causing them.

Here are some tips you can try to calm your baby down.  Every child is different so always remember to listen to your mother instincts. You are the best person to know what is good for your baby, now you have to learn to listen to yourself!

PREAMBLE: THE BASIC CHECKLIST

First of all, make sure that the cause of your baby’s crying does not come from :

• hunger
• a dirty nappy
• he is too hot or too cold: a little tip, touch the back of his neck to get an idea of his “felt” temperature
• he is ill: temperature, vomiting, diarrhoea. If you think your baby has a tummy ache or is suffering from infant colic, you can read our article on the subject : 5 TIPS FOR SOOTHING INFANT COLIC

1-RECONSIDER YOUR OBJECTIVE

You would probably like your baby to stay calm in his bed … unfortunately with a baby who cries a lot your first objective will be to calm the crying (and not to have your hands free ;). It is important to be aware of this. You will try to create a more soothing environment for yourself, i.e. without crying. You don’t look for baby’s 3 hour nap to be able to go back to his “old life” for a while.

If baby calms down in this way, it means that he needs to be reassured:

2-HUGS AND RESTS

Sit comfortably on your sofa with your baby against you and rest, you really need it. By using a breastfeeding cushion you can find a position in which you can comfortably read a book, chat on your phone or watch a short series…

DISCOVER PREGNANCY CUSHION

3-SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT

Sit comfortably on your sofa (a pregnancy pillow should help) and stick your baby’s bare skin to yours, you can just open his bodysuit and your blouse, you can also use a skin-to-skin t-shirt, I loved it with my son!

DISCOVER SKIN TO SKIN T-SHIRT

4-BABY CARRIER

I didn’t have the reflex to use the baby carrier for my daughter when she was a newborn infant, when you’re exhausted by crying it’s hard to think…

My son, on the other hand, spent a good part of his days in the baby carrier. Yes, even at home, especially at home actually.

Before he was born I had bought a baby carrier that was compatible with infants and comfortable for the mother.

I highly recommend the Babybjorn baby sling, the best purchase of my second pregnancy. Super comfortable and easy to put on, it will allow you to cook, do your laundry… and if baby falls asleep, you can even put it down (well, try to) without waking him up because the baby and mum part separates super easily.

There is a collar that holds the baby’s head well, and it can accommodate infants from 3,5Kg to 15Kg. My son is 18 months and I still use it!

DISCOVER BABYBJORN BABY CARRIER

5-LAST RESORT: SQUATS (OR OTHER PELVIC MOVEMENTS)

If baby won’t settle down even in my arms, you can try squats with baby against you, in a baby carrier or in your arms. Many people laugh at this, but it often works, take him against you and do squats, it often calms the crying. You can vary the movement by moving the pelvis back and forth. On the other hand, you should not stop for a while… If we want to be positive, we can say that it allows to remusculate your thighs.

WHAT ABOUT DADS???

The good news is that all these techniques can be used by
both mum and dad. The baby carrier is adaptable, there are even skin-to-skin
T-shirts for men:

DISCOVER SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT T-SHIRTS FOR DADS