Newborn Won’t Let Me Put Him Down: What to Do
There can be times when it feels like all you do is rock your baby to soothe them, just to set them down and have them cry and repeat the process. This can be stressful not only for your baby but for you, too! Babies always have a reason for their crying, and it’s usually a matter of figuring out what it is they need.
While there is always a reason for the crying, it may be as simple as wanting to be held. Your baby craves the warmth and comfort of your embrace and may become agitated if you try to set them down. “How dare you set me down!”
If it feels like this will never end, rest assured that it will. Continue reading to learn how to stop a baby from crying when put down.
My Baby Cries When I Set Them Down
It can be frustrating when your baby can’t stop crying. After possibly hours of comforting your fussy baby and trying to lay them down with them immediately crying as they hit the crib, you might be ready to start crying yourself!
The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath. If you need to put your baby safely in their crib for a few minutes while you go into another room to calm yourself down, please do so. Your baby will be safe and sound in their crib while you take the time to regain composure. Being responsible for a baby who does not want to be put down and cries constantly can be extremely taxing on you, so you need to do whatever you can to remain calm, cool, and collected during this time!
How To Set Baby Down Without Them Crying
You might have spent countless hours comforting your baby and calming them down, just to try to lay them down for them to start crying again. When my son was a baby, there were nights I would spend upwards of six hours a night trying to get him to sleep alone in his bassinet. Every single time I set him down, the crying would stop, and I would have to start all over again. Sleep was nonexistent until I learned some of these helpful tips:
Lay your baby down bottom first. This is the most invaluable piece of information that I have learned as a parent. If you lay your baby down flat or with their head dipping down, they are likely to feel like they are falling and will startle, ultimately waking up. When you lay them down first, they are a lot less likely to become startled, increasing the chance that they will stay asleep when lying down!
Invest in a swing. Some babies love relaxing in a swing. The motion can help soothe babies to sleep as it is calm and has a calm rhythm.
Swaddle them. If your baby is smaller and not rolling over, you can get a swaddle to put them to bed. The swaddle helps mimic the womb as they are tucked in tight and nice and cozy, hopefully comforting them enough to fall asleep.
Sleep train older babies. Once your baby is six months old, they are old enough to start sleep training. This is because, before six months, they do not have the capacity to self-soothe. Once they reach the proper age, you can begin sleep training your baby. There are multiple methods out there to help your little one catch some shut-eye, but my personal favorite is The Ferber Method.
These tricks are not foolproof as every baby is different, but these are all things that I use in helping my little ones go to sleep without constantly being in my arms. As much as I adored the cuddles (and still do), it can be exhausting tending to every beck and call. The important takeaway in all of this is that before you can take care of your baby, you must take care of yourself.
Purple Crying
Sometimes, no matter what you do, your baby will cry for seemingly no reason. This is developmentally normal and usually begins around two weeks old and will conclude around three to five months old. If your baby is in this age range and you’ve met all of their needs and there is still nothing you can do to console them, feel rest assured that this is normal and it will eventually end.
Here is a resource for you to read more about purple crying. Remember, if the crying is too overwhelming and there is no one with you to help, set your baby in a safe place and allow yourself a little time to recompose yourself before continuing their care.
Monitor Your Baby’s Habits with Baby Connect
One of the best ways to figure out what your baby needs is by the process of elimination. Once you figure out what it is that is making your baby cry, you can then begin remedying the situation! Keeping track of your routine each day will help you narrow down what could possibly be ailing your sweet cherub.
Baby Connect is a progressive app designed to do just this. You can track all of your baby’s important information, from feeding, diaper changes, daily schedule, and more. Add all the notes your heart desires to stay on top of your baby’s habits. When you closely monitor everything your baby does, you are sure to find a solution to your baby’s woes!
