What to Do When Nothing Makes Baby Happy

Ages & Stages

How to Calm a Fussy Baby: Tips for Parents & Caregivers

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Hither are means yous can attempt to comfort a crying baby. Information technology may take a few tries, simply with patience and exercise you'll detect out what works and what doesn't for your baby.

Swaddle your baby in a large, thin coating (ask your nurse or child's dr. to show you how to practice it correctly) to assistance her experience secure.
Hold your baby in your arms and identify her body on her left side to aid digestion or tum for support. Gently rub her back. If your babe goes to slumber, remember to always lay her down in her crib on her back.
Turn on a calming audio. Sounds that remind babies of being within the womb may be calming, such equally a white noise device, the bustling sound of a fan, or the recording of a heartbeat.
Walk your babe in a body carrier or rock her. Calming motions remind babies of movements they felt in the womb.
Avoid overfeeding your baby considering this may also make her uncomfortable. Endeavour to wait at least 2 to 2½ hours from the beginning of one feeding to the next.
If it is non withal time to feed your infant, offer the pacifier or help your infant notice her thumb or finger. Many babies are calmed by sucking.
If food sensitivity is the cause of discomfort, a change in diet may assist.

For breastfed babies: Moms may attempt changing their ain diet. See if your baby gets less fussy if you lot cut downwardly on milk products or caffeine. If there is no divergence after making the dietary changes, resume your usual diet. Avoiding spicy or gassy foods like onions or cabbage has worked for some moms, just this has non been scientifically proven.
For canteen-fed babies: Ask your child's doctor if you should effort a different formula. This has been shown to exist helpful for some babies.

Keep a diary of when your baby is awake, asleep, eating, and crying. Write downwardly how long information technology takes your baby to swallow or if your baby cries the well-nigh after eating. Talk with your kid's physician about these behaviors to see if her crying is related to sleeping or eating.
Limit each daytime nap to no longer than three hours a day. Go on your baby calm and quiet when you feed or change her during the night by avoiding bright lights and noises, such every bit the Tv set.

Checklist for What Your Baby May Need:

Here are some other reasons why your babe may weep and tips on what y'all tin try to see that need. If your babe is…

Hungry. Go on track of feeding times and look for early on signs of hunger, such as lip-smacking or moving fists to his mouth.
Cold or hot. Dress your baby in nigh the aforementioned layers of wear that you lot are wearing to be comfortable.
Wet or soiled. Cheque the diaper. In the first few months, babies wet and soil their diapers a lot.
Spitting up or vomiting a lot. Some babies accept symptoms from gastroesophageal reflux (GER), and the fussiness can be dislocated with colic. Contact your child's doctor if your infant is fussy later feeding, has excessive spitting or vomiting, and is losing or non gaining weight.
Sick (has a fever or other disease). Check your babe'southward temperature. If your baby is younger than 2 months and has a fever, call your child's doctor right away. See Fever and Your Baby for more data.
Overstimulated.
Bored. Quietly sing or hum a vocal to your baby. Get for a walk.

Why Parents & Caregivers Need Breaks from Crying Babies:

If you have tried to calm your crying babe but nil seems to work, you may need to take a moment for yourself. Crying tin can exist tough to handle, peculiarly if you lot're physically tired and mentally exhausted.

Have a deep breath and count to 10.
Place your baby in a safety place, such as crib or playpen without blankets and stuffed animals; exit the room; and let your baby weep solitary for about 10 to xv minutes.
While your baby is in a safe identify, consider some actions that may help calm you downwards.
Heed to music for a few minutes.
Phone call a friend or family member for emotional support.
Do simple household chores, such equally vacuuming or washing the dishes.
If you lot have not calmed afterward x to 15 minutes, check on your baby but do non pick up your baby until you experience you have calmed downwards.
When you take calmed down, go dorsum and pick up your infant. If your baby is still crying, retry soothing measures.
Call your kid'due south doctor. There may be a medical reason why your baby is crying.
Endeavour to be patient. Keeping your baby safe is the most important thing yous tin exercise. It is normal to feel upset, frustrated, or fifty-fifty aroused, only it is important to keep your beliefs nether control. Remember, it is never safe to shake, throw, hit, slam, or jerk any kid—and it never solves the trouble!

Boosted Data from HealthyChildren.org:

Responding to Your Baby'south Cries
Colic Relief Tips for Parents
A Parent's Guide To Safe Slumber
Remedies for Spitty Babies
Abusive Head Trauma: How to Protect Your Baby

Article Body

Concluding Updated: seven/xviii/2016

The information contained on this Web site should non be used every bit a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may exist variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

What to Do When Nothing Makes Baby Happy

Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Calming-A-Fussy-Baby.aspx

Espie Roustich