10 Tips to Calm Your Newborn Baby
Hearing your newborn cry can be one of the most heartbreaking things to experience as a parent or caregiver. We want nothing more than to comfort them and make them feel safe and loved. There are times when your little one may be crying and cannot seem to stop.
While it may feel that you have tried everything, there are plenty of techniques that can help your baby calm down! Each baby is unique, and one may hate being sung too, while another may love it. Before you get too stressed, review these ten tips to calm your newborn:
Swaddling your baby
Using calming noises
Move around with your baby
Change their diet
Limit their nap times
Meet all their basic needs
Don’t overfeed them
Give them back rubs
Go outside
Offer them a pacifier
Now that you know the ten best ways to calm your newborn, keep reading to learn more about each one!
1. Swaddle Your Baby
You brought your newborn home, and you may be thinking, “Why is my newborn so unsettled?” Newborns go from enjoying a warm and perfect environment made for them for nine months to a colder environment where they must wait for their caregiver to attend to their needs. This is like being waited on hand and foot and then being told to wait!
Using a swaddle can help mimic the comfort of the womb. You will take a blanket and make some folds so that it embraces your baby in a warm and tight hug. Ask a nurse in the hospital to help you practice, or if you are home already, watch some videos online to learn how to properly swaddle your baby!
Related: What To Do If Your Baby Fights the Swaddle
2. Use Calming Noises
Babies love repetitive and soothing noises. If your baby is fussing and you can’t seem to calm them down, you can make shushing noises or use a white noise machine.
3. Move with Your Baby
Keeping your baby moving is a great way to calm them down.
Most babies love to be held and walked around or for a ride in their stroller or car seat. The smooth motion reminds them of the womb and makes them feel right at home.
4. Change Their Diet
Some babies suffer from intolerances, whether it be from their mother’s breast milk or the formula they eat. If your baby is breastfed, you can try cutting out caffeine or dairy to see if this is causing your baby’s digestive issues.
If they are drinking formula, the type they use may be causing them discomfort. Talk to their pediatrician for their recommendations.
5. Limit Naps
You finally got your baby to take a nap - score! We all need time to get some household chores done without a little one in tow (but let’s be real, we also deserve to binge-watch our favorite show on the couch). They may start going past their normal sleep window; try not to let them oversleep.
Although this may give you more time to get things done or relax, this can cause issues for you come bedtime. Once you notice they are starting to nap a little too long, gently wake them up so that they will be tired enough for their next sleep window.
6. Meet All Their Needs
Before you begin using various techniques to calm your newborn down, you want to be sure that all their needs have been met.
Have they been fed? Do they need a diaper change? Are they tired? Once you know that all of these problems have been fixed, then you can begin trying various techniques to soothe their fussiness.
7. Avoid Overfeeding
Overfeeding your baby can stretch your baby’s stomach and cause them pain and discomfort. It may be tempting to offer them another bottle if they are fussy, but if they have eaten their normal amount, do not give them another full bottle!
You can offer an extra ounce or two, but stuffing them full will cause more harm than it will good. Try to wait at least two hours from the start of one feeding to start another.
8. Rub Their Back
Imagine that you had a long, exhausting day, and all you want to do is relax. Doesn’t a back rub sound like a great way to do that? You bet it does!
Your baby will love to cuddle up close to you and get their back rubbed while swaying. Other spots your baby is sure to love are their arms, legs, and head.
9. Bring them Outside
Something about going outside can stop some babies right in their tracks! The change in environment and temperature, whether it be hot or cold, can distract your baby. They may also enjoy the swaying of the tree branches in the wind or the sound of birds chirping.
If it’s a nice day outside, the fresh air can help your little one drift off to sleep, especially if chauffeured around in a stroller!
10. Offer a Pacifier
If it isn’t time for another feeding session, you can offer your baby a pacifier. This allows them to suck on it and comfort themselves without becoming too full from an extra bottle. A pacifier paired along with one or two of these techniques will have your baby relaxed in no time!
Track Your Baby’s Day with Baby Connect
You notice that your baby has been a bit more fussy than usual. You’re doing everything you can to figure out what’s wrong. When they are this little, it can be hard to decipher what is bothering them, especially if all their basic needs are met!
Keeping track of your baby’s schedule is a great way to determine why your newborn is fussy. You can record their feedings, bowel movements, and sleep schedules to look for patterns. Baby Connect is an app designed for parents and caregivers to track all of these important details to help keep babies well cared for!
