As a new parent hearing your crying baby can be extremely overwhelming. A baby’s cry can be so unpredictable and it is so hard sometimes to understand the cause. As well as finding the right strategies to stop the crying.
When we as adults cry we want to be heard, understood and supported and babies are the same. We can try and calm a baby through touch, words, sounds or with a smiling face. As a parent it's important to learn to understand and tune in to why they are crying and be able to provide love, help and support as needed. This is not always easy mind you. Crying is a baby's way of communicating its needs during this time.
Crying can be normal, when healthy babies cry about something they are showing their feelings and are trying to tell you about them through their cry. It may help when responding to your baby, reflecting that you are there and know that you are trying to understand the reason for the cry.
Some of the reasons why babies cry may be;
Hunger
Over tired or over stimulated
Under stimulated
Uncomfortable
Tummy pain
Or just need a cuddle
Trying to stay calm during these times is sometime hard but if we can stay calm it allows us to listen and understand our babies cues and we are more likely to figure out why they may be crying.
Here are some things as adults we can do to stay calm. We are all different and will have different techniques but being able to incorporate these into our day may help us to feel a sense of calm.
Timeout from a support person, friend or family member allowing us to rest and take some deep breaths to calm
A walk or some form of exercise
A warm bath
Listening to music or a relaxation while baby is sleeping or resting
Or sometime we may just need a cuddle
What about your baby how can we help a baby to be calm
Aside from the usual checks of nappy, food and temperature here are six ways that may help to calm your baby;
A warm soothing bath. Some babies will relax and enjoy a bath and the warmth of the water.
A gentle massage. Some babies love being touched and caressed. Start slow to get them used to being touched, speak softly as you massage. Pick the right time maybe after a feed when they are more relaxed and not ready for bed.
A gentle cuddle, at this time in your baby’s life, they are learning to trust you to meet their needs. To hold them may be a way to meet their needs when they are crying.
A safe sensory toy that they can suck on and or hold allows them to be soothed and calmed by the sucking or familiarity of it.
A walk in the pram in a quiet environment may be just what the baby needed as a distraction. Dont forget to use the harness.
Sing or play a lullaby, music playing softly in the background may be soothing for a baby.
However at any time you are concerned about your babies crying or unsettledness or the way they are feeding or you are concerned about how you are feeling listen to your instincts and seek support from your GP or health professional.