Education Blog for Mommies

Giving birth to a newborn baby, especially if it is your first can leave you with a mix of emotions. You’re overjoyed whenever you look at those precious eyes and hold it in your arms. But at the same time, once you leave the hospital, you are faced with the realities of life. You will learn a lot through trial and error but some helpful tips can guide you along the path of motherhood.

A crying baby depending on its frequency and strength can be one of the most stressful parts of taking care of a newborn. During the first 3 months of a newborns life, it is almost the only form of communication that you will have with your child. Parents’ finding themselves with a colicky wonder if they come out of this period still sane.

Before giving you the most common tips for calming a crying baby, it is important that you first try to identify why the baby is crying. Don’t worry with time and experience; you’ll be able to identify the different tones and types of crying.

The main reasons for crying are:

1. Hunger
2. Loneliness, if your baby calms as soon as she sees your face, she might just be missing you
3. Wet or soiled diapers
4. Cold or Hot, check the back of the neck to identify in this is the case
5. Sleepy
6. Over stimulated
7. Pain
8. Illness
9. Colic, constant unconcealed crying for several hours

Reasons 1-6 are easily remedied. If your child is in pain, depending on the reason, such as teething, some tylenol kids or Tempra may make her feel better.

Here are some tips to calm your baby if she is colicky and all reasons 1-6 have been eliminated.

1. It may be trapped gas so try a Rhythmic Pat on her back or bottom. You can even try to rub her back rhythmically on her left side from the bottom up till the shoulder.
   
2. Another remedy for gas is to lie her down on her back and gently do bicycle movements with her legs.
   
3. Try a Montone Hum
   
4. Neck Cradle: Hold the baby’s face between her cheek and shoulders
   
5. Rhythmic Motion: Try rocking or walking your newborn using a rhythmic motion. Another great trick but not always practical is taking your newborn for a drive. The car’s motions puts most colicky babies to sleep.
   
6. Skin Contact: Remove your newborn’s clothing and your top and try some skin to skin contact with your newborn.
   
7. Lying Together: Lie down on the sofa or bed and have your baby lie stomach to stomach with you while gently stroking her back or legs
   
8. Distraction: Sometimes just distracting your little one can work. Use some colorful toys or some gently music
   
9. Infant Slings or Front Pack Carriers: This can kill several birds with one stone. It will provide some motion, contact and may allow you to take care of those chores that have just been piling up.
   
10. Soothing bath: This works not only for adults but for newborns as well. Be advised that not all newborns like a bath
    
11. White Noise: Noises coming from vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, or washing machines which can mimic the sounds from the womb can be calming for your newborn
    
12. Swaddling: Your baby has spent 9 months in very tight quarters. Having all this space and freedom to move around may not be comforting.
    
13. Outside: Some simple fresh air may do the trick
    
14. Stay Calm: Your baby can sense your stress. Try some eye contact, remain calm and calmly talk or sing to your baby. Just remember that these moments will not last forever.

If you feel extremely tired and overly stressed, some time out may help to re-energize you. Have a family member or friend take over for a few hours and get some time for you.

by Maria Melo