Tips For When Baby Cries

Some of these posts are as much a reminder for me as to help you guys. Here's some good advice I found in the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (review to come later).

When baby's crying seems prolonged, run down a simple list (in order of pressing needs) to determine what might be needed:

• Is baby hungry?
• Does baby need a clean diaper?
• Does baby need to be burped?
• Is baby too warm or too cold?
• Does baby just need to suck, whether on a finger or pacifier?
• Does baby need to be moved to a more comfortable position? Is something pinching, sticking, or binding him or her?

If baby is warm, well-fed, and well-rested, try these suggestions:

• Try swaddling baby snugly in a blanket.
• Gently talk to or sing to baby face to face.
• Gently stroke baby's head or rub or pat his or her chest or neck.
• Offer baby your finger or a pacifier to suck on as you rock or rhythmically walk with him or her.
• Use a gentle motion, such as rocking your baby in your arms, walking with him or her against your shoulder, or carrying him or her in a front carrier.
• Play soft music.
• Hold baby tummy down on your lap.
• Hold baby in an upright position on your shoulder or against your chest.
• Put baby in his or her car seat and go for a drive.
• Give baby a warm bath or put a warm - not hot - water bottle on his or her stomach.
• Go outside. Take your baby for a walk in a stroller or a carriage.
• Reduce the noise, movement and lights in the area where your baby is. Or try inducing white noise, such as the continuous, monotonous sound of a vacuum cleaner or a recording of ocean waves. 

And sometimes baby just needs to cry for a while. Give them 10 or 15 minutes, but stay nearby. After they've blown off some steam, try again. If you're lucky, they may just fall asleep.