Consoling a Crying Baby
Some reasons your baby will cry are: hunger, fatigue, boredom, discomfort, frustration, pain, illness, loneliness, colic and irritability. As a general rule, make sure Babyâs physical needs are taken care of first. In other words, make sure your baby is well-fed, check his or her diaper, see if he or she needs to burp etc. If youâre sure that your baby doesnât have a physical problem that needs to be met right away, then use one or more of the following techniques to soothe Baby and calm him or her down:
1. Carrying your baby for several hours throughout the day will very likely decrease crying overall and will have a very calming influence.
2. Use repetitive rhythmic movements to satisfy Babyâs needs for security, safety and predictability. Try a baby swing, rocking chair or dancing while holding baby close.
3. Swaddle the baby in a lightweight blanket to temporarily restore to Baby the snug, closed in feeling that he or she had while in the womb.
4. Turn on some background noise such as the washing machine or vacuum cleaner or soothing sounds such as ocean or waterfall sounds. These rhythmic, repetitive sounds can be very comforting to the baby.
5. Give Baby a pacifier up to six months of age as babies have a strong sucking urge that is not related to their desire for food.
6. Take your baby for a ride in the car to distract and lull him or her to sleep.
7. Gently pat, stroke or massage your baby. Stroking Babyâs skin sends messages to the brain to increase levels of beneficial chemicals and hormones that help Baby to bear pain and regulate levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
8. Allowing your baby to cuddle with a soft object can help soothe him or her.
If none of these techniques work, then consider the possibility that your little one may just need to cry it out until he or she has released all of the pent up feelings inside. Also consider your own mental and emotional well-being as you donât want to act out any feelings of tension, resentment, frustration or hostility. Itâs ok to recognize when youâre close to your breaking point and ask for help! You and your baby will be glad that you did!
Jacqueline Courtiol, M.A. Ed. is a teacher, mother and business owner. Jacqueline has authored numerous articles on topics of childcare, natural health, parenting and pregnancy. She is also the co-developer of Colic Calm, a natural homeopathic treatment for gassy babies and colicky babies. More information can be found at http://www.coliccalm.com or contact us if you have questions.This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_115634_40.html
Keywords: baby swing, background noise, boredom
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