Calming The Newborn: 5 Useful Techniques
Calming the crying baby can become a difficult mission for inexperienced parents. As the minutes go by and the volume of the baby’s cry increases, their confusion and nervousness grow. To help them cope with this difficult time, we present some useful techniques.
The reasons that cause a baby to cry are very different from each other. Perhaps the best way to deal with the root of the matter is to learn to recognize the different types of baby crying. However, this is a skill that parents acquire over time. In the meantime, how can you calm the baby ?
Techniques for calming the newborn
Before starting with the enumeration, it must be made clear that not all techniques will be equally effective with all children, since, as you already know, no two people are identical. On the other hand, you need to be able to recognize when your children complain about a serious problem or are just trying to get attention.
If the crying is intense or is accompanied by symptoms such as fever or vomiting, it is essential to contact the pediatrician to rule out any health problems.
1. Movement
If you hold the baby in your arms, walk around the room and cradle him gently: the contact and movement will calm him down little by little. If you accompany everything with whispers, a few caresses and gentle pats on the back, calming the baby will be a matter of a few minutes.
A few years ago, the video of an American pediatrician calming children by holding them at a 45 ° angle , with one hand on the chest and the other on the buttocks, went viral . Almost like a magic formula, the blurred babies immediately stopped crying.
2. Sounds
Like human contact, children are reassured when they hear the voice of a nearby mom or dad. This is due to the most primitive sense of protection that is activated in them in the presence of their parents.
Not only the voice, but also the sound produced by the moving car, the music or the noise of the washing machine (yes, that’s right) are great for calming the baby.
3. Massages
In addition to being an effective technique for relieving the pain of colic, gentle massages are also an excellent alternative to calm the baby and stop crying.
Through this contact, the little ones relax and get to know their body better. You can perform these massages with oils or creams to increase the benefits and the feeling of well-being in babies.
4. Bathroom
As with adults, warm water helps the little ones to release tension and relax their muscles. If we accompany the bath with caresses and a quiet environment, the little one will feel much calmer.
5. Walk
Children love to browse, look around and breathe fresh air. As long as the climatic conditions are favorable and the time is adequate, taking a walk can be an excellent alternative to find peace.
Tips for when the baby cries
In addition to the aforementioned techniques, there are some guidelines to consider on what to do or not do when the baby cries:
- Parents need to stay calm. Babies should not be shaken, beaten or scolded in order to calm them down.
- Under no circumstances should children be given medicines or foods that have not been previously recommended by the pediatrician to calm them down.
- Breast or bottle should not be given as a relaxation method. Although sucking has this effect on babies, it is a bad habit that can lead them to ask for food when they are not hungry and, consequently, to gain weight.
- You don’t even have to put your baby in the car every time he cries. Otherwise, he will adopt a habit that will be counterproductive to the daily life of the family.
Parents need to know that crying is a means of communication for babies, as are smiles. For this reason, tears are not always synonymous with illness or poor treatment. The ideal is to approach the situation calmly. After verifying that the baby is not hungry, sleepy or afraid, analyze his health for possible symptoms of any discomfort.
If all goes well, any of the methods presented in this article can be a great ally in calming the newborn. Not to mention, moreover, that it will allow you to spend pleasant relaxing moments in the company of your children, who will also favor mutual knowledge.
