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.

Baby massage

Continuously stroke Baby’s body, arms, and legs with gentle motions. You will encourage him to relax his muscles, falling asleep.

Let him be

Sometimes Baby just needs to get it out. Put him down in a quiet room and wait patiently. After a few minutes his cries will lessen in frequency and intensity, eventually he will fall asleep on his own. Babies need their alone time too.