What to do when you baby won’t stop crying – try these 4 techniques to calm a fussy baby stop baby crying.
When you are a new mother and your baby is constantly crying it can be exhausting. I’m not talking about the usual, diaper is wet or hungry cries – I’m talking non stop crying and nothing you seem to do will soothe them.
Trust me, I know this kind of crying all too well. I’ve been there.
All four of my children spent the first couple months of their lives crying constantly. This may sound like an exaggeration but if your baby is crying non stop and you’ve gone searching the internet for tips to just get your baby to stop crying, then I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
My baby was crying non-stop
They cried when they were awake, they fought sleep, they cried throughout the night, they cried when they were hungry and then they cried again when they had just eaten. It was crying NON-STOP!
I’m talking arched back, tight fist, rigid body, screaming – for long periods of time.
It got worse at night. They would cry and cry for several hours every evening. They were beyond fussy and most would label this colic or refer to them as colicky – more about that a little later.
When the non stop crying started with my first child, I was completely exhausted. My whole day revolved around trying to get her to calm down enough to sleep a decent stretch.
By the second child, I had a handle on it but he cried even more than the first.
By the time we had child number three I was practically a professional (I use that term loosely) at how to calm a baby that won’t stop crying.
What is Colic?
What is Colic? Colic is a term used to describe uncontrollable crying in an otherwise healthy baby.
My children were extremely colicky. They were otherwise healthy, growth was great, but they would cry non stop. But sometimes it is more than just “Colic”.
Were thankful to find a medical reason that they were this way – each of them suffered from GERD (gastroesophogeal reflux disease) and milk/soy protein allergies.
Whatever the reason, though, one thing remains constant; sometimes you need to learn a few techniques to stop baby crying because unfortunately they do not come with instruction manuals.
Fear not, new mamas, hopefully these tips will help you and if nothing else, know that this stage will not last forever!
4 Techniques to Stop Baby Crying
Swaddling-swaddling is a must! All babies enjoy being swaddled, it reminds them of being in the womb, but with fussy or colic babies it is an absolute must! A Tip is to use two receiving blankets instead of one and then hold them tightly and close to your body. This is where baby-wearing wraps come in handy. That way the child is held close to their mother but you still have hands free to do a few simple tasks.
White Noise-the type of noise will depend on the child. For some, simple “shhhhh” in the ear is fine. Others may find that the vacuum cleaner works or a white noise machine. One of my children actually liked music, not something soft and classical but instead with a beat! Try out different sounds and see what works.
Swinging, Swaying, or Rocking-typically this would be rocking your baby. Some newborns enjoy the swing and for others it is rocking. with mine it was holding them and dancing rhythmically through the house. I would turn on some music and they loved it.
Sucking-pacifiers, pacifiers, and more pacifiers. Sucking is often soothing to a newborn but they may not be ready for more food, a pacifier will give them the satisfaction.
I have found that using all four of these tips at the same time will usually give the best results. Even with a typical baby, and not a fussy one, the combination of swaddling, white noise, light rocking, and a pacifier with quickly send them off to dream land.
If this is something that you struggle with daily be sure to speak to your doctor. Sometimes babies can have underlying medical problems that need to be attended to – seek medical advice from a professional that might be able to help diagnose what might be causing excess fussiness.
Get expert advice on how to stop baby crying: Dr. Harvey Karp’s Happiest Baby on the Block is a great read with lots of valuable information
Whatever you do, DO NOT EVER SHAKE YOUR BABY and DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BABY UNATTENDED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME!!! If you are feeling frustrated or overwhelmed place your baby safely in their crib and take a few deep breaths – soothing music can work for mamas too! Ask someone for help or talk to your doctor.
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