So you’ve brought you little bundle of cuteness home from the hospital. It’s
been a few weeks and you’ve learned that your baby cries when he’s hungry,
needs changing, needs attention, or is just uncomfortable for whatever reason.
Then again… there are those times when nothing seems to work. You’ve tried to
feed him, his diaper’s clean, you’ve been holding him for an hour, and he’s
just crying his anxious little heart out. What to do?
Shoulder
Rocking
Pick up the newborn and hold him against your shoulder as you gently rock or
walk. He gets his physical closeness fix, and becomes more quietly alert in an
upright position, soothed by the rhythm of your movement. This is normally the
technique all parents try first, and is the most common. Never fear, though, if
this doesn’t work for your little person, there are other solutions.
Swaddling
Swaddling is used in many non-Western cultures to great effect. You can do
this too. Wrap your baby snugly in a blanket or cloth. This method restricts
his movement so that energy is conserved, and the snug warmth is soothing and
calming to a newborn. He can stay this way as he sleeps or lies quietly, but
there is no need to swaddle him all day. Take care if the temperature is
unusually warm.
Pacifier
Sucking is one of the few movements your baby has mastered at birth. Sucking
equals comfort to a newborn, and allows him to control his own arousal level. A
young infant sucks involuntarily, so giving him a sweetened pacifier to suck
will relieve pain and quiet an upset baby.
Rhythmic
sounds
The whirring of a fan, washing machine, or dishwasher; a ticking clock; soft
steady music; or any monotonous continuous sound is very effective at calming a
newborn. Rather than sing a song that contains intermittent sounds, hum a few
notes over and over again with the baby on your chest. He is soothed by both
the rhythmic sound and the vibration of your chest. Put a fan in his room at
night, or a gently ticking clock.
Motion
Take him on a car ride, a walk, or swing him in a cradle. Gentle rhythmic
motion will soothe baby and lull him to sleep.