Sometimes babies cry for no discernible reason. After you’ve eliminated all possible causes of the crying, there are some tried-and-true soothing techniques recommended by paediatricians. Fans of attachment parenting swear that “wearing” baby in a wrap or a sling not only soothes her when she cries, it also helps prevent crying. Others say that a variety of gentle motions, in combination with body contact, will produce an effect similar to baby-wearing. Additional methods involve sounds, oral or visual stimuli. Some recommend taking a drive in the car, as many babies are soothed by the humming and vibrations from the motor. While other parents say they’ve unexpectedly hit on certain sounds that soothed their baby: popcorn poppers, washing machines and hair-dryers all produce the kind of womb-like white noise that tends to make babies feel safe and sleepy. Sundry other tips from the experts include rolling baby over a soft rubber ball, lying skin-to-skin on dad’s furry chest, taking walks outside, and taking a bath with mum (although getting out of the bath without waking the baby up may prove a problem.)
Dr. Sears
“11 Ways to Soothe a Fussy Baby”
“Calming techniques (except visual ones) are like re-inventing the womb that baby has been used to for nine months. Here are baby-calming techniques that we have found worked with our own fussy babies, and that we have been able to glean from experienced baby-calmers in our pediatric practice. Remember that your baby has individual needs. Try these techniques as a starting point and improvise.” …read the full article
BabyCenter Australia®
"Seven Reasons Babies Cry and How to Soothe Them"
“Unable to do anything for themselves, babies rely on someone else to provide them with the food, warmth, and comfort that they need. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating one of those needs. As a new parent, it can sometimes be difficult to work out what your baby is telling you… However, you will gradually begin to recognise your baby’s different crying patterns and, as you get to know her better, will be able to anticipate her needs. ” …read the full article
Dr Greene
"Fifteen Minutes Of Magic"
“If you’ve ever had a massage, you know how soothing and wonderful touch can be. Infant massage has been the subject of recent studies and shown remarkable benefits… Massage can be particularly powerful if Mom is depressed. Not only does the baby’s crying decrease, but the brain wave patterns of distress and depression measurably decrease as well. In my experience, Mom also benefits directly from giving the massage (the reduced crying) and also benefits from getting a massage of her own.” …read the full article
Dr. Harvey Karp
"The Calming Reflex: Nature’s Automatic Shut-Off Switch for a Baby’s Crying," from The Happiest Baby on the Block
"I believe once our ancestors began living in villages and cities, they forgot that, since the Stone Age, babies were almost constantly jiggled and wiggled as their moms walked up and down the mountains. As you will recall, reflexes require specific triggers. The triggers for your baby’s calming reflex are the sensations he felt in the uterus. It is my belief that this precious reflex came about not as a way of soothing upset infants but rather as a way of soothing upset fetuses! So if you’ve tried feeding, burping, and diaper changing and your baby is still yelling himself hoarse, it’s time to try soothing him this "old" new way.
The most popular baby calming methods can be grouped into five basic categories: Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Shhhhing sounds, Swinging, and Sucking. I call these the 5 "S’s"; they are the qualities of the uterus that help activate the calming reflex. However, like all reflexes, even these great techniques only switch on the calming reflex if they’re done correctly." …read the full article
Guardian
"The Crying Game"
“When a baby – particularly your own baby – cries, it can feel like a personal rebuke. I remember the feeling of hurt when, despite my best efforts, my third baby, Joe, cried buckets for the first three months. It couldn’t be my novice status, but sheer ineptitude which was to blame. Looking back, I realise that the early months of pregnancy and days after Joe’s birth had been traumatic. Somehow, he seems to have been expressing the stress I was feeling inside.” …read the full article
