Crying baby? What to do?

Babies cry for many reasons and it is important that you notice that it is not for just one reason they cry and so there is not just one way in which they can be stopped from crying. When you have a crying baby, keep the following guidelines in mind.

1.Ensure that the baby is comfortable and not needing anything

Crying is the only way in which a baby can communicate. And babies’ communication is mostly limited to their needs or because they are uncomfortable. Some of the reasons because of which a baby might cry are – sleepiness or fatigue, wet or dirty diaper, gas, hunger, fear, Overstimulation from noise or activity, food allergies, colic, stranger anxiety, etc. Your very first step thus should be to ensure that the baby is not crying because of these reasons.

There are some clues to ensure that this is not the case. For example, crying at periodic intervals might mean the baby is hungry at those times if noise or a stranger holding a baby might be making it cry you need to remove this causes and diapers can simply be checked. You can try to make it sleep. You must also keep a thermometer at home in case you think the baby might be running a fever. Babies are likely to stop crying and calm down once their needs are met.

2. Dr. Harvey Karp’s 5 S’s for soothing a crying baby

Harvey Karp has suggested the following five things to help your baby feel relaxed in case no obvious reason is there for their crying.

1. Swaddling –

2. It is human nature common to babies too to take warmth to mean security. Thus try wrapping your baby in a blanket so he feels secure.

3. Side or stomach position –

you can try holding your baby in such a way that they’re lying on their side or stomach but don’t let them sleep except on their back.

3.  Shushing –

Create some noise that will drown other noises such as running a hair drier of vacuum cleaner or fan.

4. Swinging –

any sort of rhythmic motion will do such as a ride stroller or car.

5. Sucking –

Just let the baby suck on something, for example, a pacifier.

If nothing works, of course, take to the pediatrician

3. Observe your baby

Babies are not all the same – they have some sort of personality to themselves too. One baby might start crying in a wet diaper but another might stay indifferent to it. And this is why it is only the mother who can know their babies. They can even recognize the differences between the different types of crying – telling which sounds of cries are because it is hungry and which are because it is running a fever; by learning from closely observing their babies – their reaction to the environment around them, changes in moods, etc.

We hope you find these tips helpful.