How to Make a Baby Stop Crying (5 Tried & Tested Tips)
Whether we like it or not, it’s normal for babies to cry. Crying is your baby’s primary way of communicating when they are small! Because they lack the ability to talk, crying allows them to tell their parents or caregivers that there is something that they need.
There are also times when you have met every need of your baby, but they won’t stop crying. You run down the list desperately trying to find the solution: they’re fed, diaper changed, bathed, and have taken a nap, but nothing seems to be working! This can easily put stress on parents when the crying doesn’t stop.
If it feels like you’ve tried everything under the sun to get your baby to stop crying, but nothing is working, keep reading. We have compiled five tips to help your little one settle down and get back to what they enjoy the most: spending quality time with you!
What to do Before Soothing Your Baby
Before you jump right into soothing your baby, you must make sure all of their needs are met. If they have a need that hasn’t been met, they will continue to cry no matter what you do! Some say that babies have various cries to clue you into what they mean, but this can be difficult to determine when they are newborns.
Not sure how to get your little one to calm down? Try checking:
To see if they are hungry or thirsty. If their little tummy is growling, it will be nearly impossible to stop them from crying.
For a wet diaper. If their diaper is wet or soiled, they are surely uncomfortable. They will need a dry nappy so that way they will feel comfortable and content.
Their temperature. Your baby may be too hot or cold. You can check this by touching the back of their neck. If it is sweaty, they are too hot; if it is cool, they might be too cold.
To see if they are gassy. Your baby’s crying might be a classic case of trapped gas! Throw them over your shoulder and give them some pats on the back to encourage any trapped gas to work its way out.
If they have a temperature, your baby might not be feeling well!
If you’ve gone down the list of all of these possible needs, you can move on to trying to soothe them.
5 Techniques to Calm Your Baby
Now that you’ve met all of your baby’s needs and they are still fussy, you can start to comfort them. If nothing seems to be working, try out these 5 techniques:
1. Rock, Swing, or Walk with Your Baby
If you think your baby won’t notice if you stop rocking or walking, they will. Walking while holding your baby close mimics what they felt in the womb, as they would gently swish while mom walked. This means that they should feel comforted as you walk with them outside of the womb, too!
2. Offer Your Baby a Pacifier
A pacifier is a baby’s best friend (second to mom and dad, of course). If your little one isn’t settling down, offer them a pacifier to help soothe themselves.
3. Take Your Baby Outside
Whether it be for a walk or to simply sit outside, take your baby outside. Sometimes, the change in scenery and fresh air will stop your baby in their tracks!
4. Go for a Car Ride
Sometimes, a good car ride is all your baby needs to relax! This is great for you as well because you can strap your baby in safely and take a break from the stress of hands-on care.
5. Play Music or Use White Noise
We all need a little distraction from time to time. Pick a playlist that your baby might enjoy, or run some white noise like the vacuum or dryer. I found a Disney playlist lullaby for my daughter, and this was almost a sure way to get her to finally relax after a long crying session!
What to Keep in Mind When Caring for a Crying Baby
As much as you love your baby, there can be a time when you feel like you’ve just had enough. You have met all their needs and tried to soothe them, but they continue to cry. It can be enough to make any parent want to pull out their hair! Before you begin to spiral, thinking that it will never end, keep some of these things in mind:
Every baby cries. This is how they communicate with you!
Babies begin crying more as they hit around two weeks old.
Crying will start to increase and peaks around two months old, but it can persist until 4-5 months old.
Babies tend to cry more in the evening. This can be known as purple crying.
Even healthy babies can spend 4-5 hours crying per day.
Babies may make a painful-looking face with intense crying, but this does not mean that they are in pain.
Your baby could be crying to relieve stress, so it is okay sometimes to let them cry.
Crying can happen sporadically, and you might not know why.
Crying can continue without stopping, no matter what you do. This is normal!
The crying will stop eventually. Hang in there!
Keep Track of Your Techniques with Baby Connect
Sometimes, especially when you and your baby are exhausted, you forget what techniques you used to help soothe them. I personally have done this plenty of times- using the same technique that didn’t work over and over again because I forgot what did and didn’t help! I had to rely on writing down my notes in a note app, which I frequently forget to do.
This is precisely why Baby Connect was created. Baby Connect was designed for parents to write down all the important information in their baby’s life, such as feeding schedules, soothing techniques, and bowel movements. Never again will you use the same ineffective technique to comfort your baby!
