Comforting a Crying Baby
Crying is a baby's primary form of communication. Babies require a lot of human contact. You can't “spoil” a baby by responding to him when he cries. There are many reasons your baby may cry:
Your baby's crying may be indicative of some type of illness.
New babies may need to feed as often as every hour and a half to three hours if breastfeeding, or every three to four hours if bottle-feeding.
Need To Suck
Babies love to suck and explore their mouth with their hands, so give your baby something to suck on, such as his thumb or fist or your finger. Many people have found that pacifier use in the first week may be detrimental to establishment of successful breastfeeding.
Babies are uncomfortable in wet diapers, so be sure to change your baby's diapers frequently. NOTE: It may be difficult to know when disposable diapers are wet; wet diapers will feel heavy and warm.
- Newborns need to be burped frequently.
- Give your baby a back rub or bring her knees into her chest back and forth to help relieve gas pains.
- Apply a warm compress to her lower abdomen. (Use a warm, wet wash cloth in a plastic bag with a layer of cloth between your baby's skin and the bag).
- Apply pressure to baby's front to relieve gas. Use your hand or shoulder and gently rub baby's abdomen to stimulate the movement of gas through the intestines.
It is common for babies to become tired from overstimulation. Crying may be tension-releasing, and your baby may need to cry for a short period of time.
Comforting A Crying Newborn
As previously mentioned, crying is the primary way your baby can tell you of his needs. As you get to know each other better, you will be able to anticipate the cause of your baby's tears.
It is normal to feel frustrated if you are unable to calm a crying infant. It is important to recognize that an infant's fussiness is not a reflection of your parenting abilities.
Suggestions for comforting your crying baby:
- Rock your baby.
- Give her a stroller-ride.
- Go for a ride in the car.
- Give her a warm bath.
- Swaddle your baby.
- Put him in a baby sling and go for a walk, or step outside for fresh air.
- Hold your baby with his head against your chest, so he can hear your heartbeat.
- Talk or sing softly to your baby or play tapes of lullabies or womb sounds. Some babies also respond to “white noise,” such as the sound of a hair dryer, washing machine or a vacuum cleaner.
- Massage your baby.
- Check diaper pins (you can use “Snappis” or diaper wraps instead of pins).
- Check for diaper rash.
- Change uncomfortable clothing; maybe the baby is overdressed.
- Check to see if the baby needs to burp.
When your baby is one to two months old he may just want to play. Here are some suggestions:
- Hold your baby up in front of your face or show him pictures of people's faces.
- Hang mobiles that your baby can easily see. (Remember, babies see mobiles from below when lying in their cribs.)
- Put your baby on a blanket on the floor and move the blanket around from room to room with you. Make sure the surrounding area is safe.
- Play some music; babies tend to like classical music.
- Sit your baby in an infant seat where he can see things of interest (i.e., you, as you work around the house). Always place an infant seat on the floor for safety.
- Take your baby for walks. Use a stroller or a baby sling/snugli.
- Offer the breast or bottle. Warm fluids often comfort babies.
- If crying continues and you have exhausted your supply of patience, consider leaving your baby in his crib for a brief period of time or asking someone else to try to comfort your baby. Call a parent stress telephone line if you need to talk. See resources section for phone numbers.