Soothing a fretting baby

Anyone will tell you that I am not the most patient of people when it comes to babies.

So the tricks I have learnt to pacify a crying baby are sought by many, because they really do work!

I believe that the first trick is to be totally calm yourself. A baby can pick up your stress and anxiety and turn that into a crying episode. So, assuming you cannot simply give your baby to someone else when it cries, try one, or all, of these!

1)      Rocking

Invest in a comfortable rocking chair and practise rocking in it, carrying something baby shaped and sized, so that you perfect YOUR most comfortable position. Then, simply carry the baby up and rock gently on the chair next time it cries.

2)      Singing

This activity goes well with rocking and is soothing to both you and your baby. Sing any tune or song, be it happy, sad, jazz, rock, lullaby, pop, just sing!

3)      Car rides

A favourite when all else has been tried and failed is to take your wee one for a drive to nowhere. The soothing sound of the engine and gently motion work wonders. I also believe that the fact a baby is cocooned in a car seat helps greatly. Baby feels safe in this environment. Just be sure you are not too tired yourself to drive around and of course, drive safely. There is only one hitch to this method; once the drive is over and baby is sleeping soundly, you have to work with extreme care to life baby out of the car seat without waking it, or all your effort will have been in vain!

4)      Swaddling

I was beginning to think this was an Asian thing, but I saw a character on Lost use this method too! Babies like to be cocooned. Wrap baby up tight, keeping their arms by their side as you do so. Make sure the swaddling is well wrapped over the legs, not just the arms, so that kicking will not free the tiny feet and cause the baby to fret again.

5)      Massage

And the most rewarding, give baby a gentle massage with oil, even with something fragrant like tea tree, eucalyptus or lavender oil. Start at the shoulders and work your way down to the toes. You will both enjoy this activity.

I believe the best thing I can say is, enjoy your baby. Baby will all too soon grow up and you will find you miss these soothing and very close moments.

(Of course, if there is something wrong with baby, ill, teething, colic, wet bottom, fix that first before trying these soothing methods!)