How to Stop Newborns from Crying!

If you are here because you are a new parent and have a newborn screaming constantly, the first thing to do, is just breathe... and know that everything is going to be alright. Babies spend around nine months inside the mom's belly, so coming into the real world is VERY unfamiliar to them. It is normal for them to cry!

Hearing your child's first cry is quite the encounter. The good news is that it's sign your baby is alive and healthy. Understandably, as weeks go by, these cries may turn you from awe to frustration.

Babies cry a lot, and in some cases, the explanation is self-evident: Hunger, dirty diaper, exhaustion, etc. Usually, attending those needs will stop the crying, but other times, getting the tears to stop isn't as simple. So, having some alternative tricks up your sleeves will come in handy.

While there is no one solution that fixes all babies, you will learn your child's dynamics and which techniques will best suit your child's needs.

Below are 15 ideas that may help your little one:

1. Rocking chair: Hold the baby in your arms that is comfortable for you and the baby and sway back and forth slowly on the rocking chair.

2. Use a baby swing - baby swings offer alleviating motions that help calm them down. Ensure that the swing is intended for the newborn's age.

3. Stroller Walks and Car Drives – babies being in snug car seats or strollers, on top of the smooth rides on the stroller or car, can help calm babies.

4. Swaddle – swaddling babies mimic the environment they lived in for 9 months in the mother’s belly! Swaddling will comfort babies as it creates a familiar environment for them.

5. Tie on a sling: It's not shocking that the warm, dim, close solace of a child sling is a dependable soother. A special reward: You can breastfeed anyplace covert.

6. “Shush” your baby – The sound of “shhh” is close to what babies heard in the womb. Again, simulating familiar environments for them will calm them down.

7. Try “white-noise” machines – any machine with consistent rushing sounds should help lull babies to sleep.

8. Pass the gas – babies may be crying from being uncomfortable with gas. Feel free to look up different methods online that help with digesting or passing gas for babies!

9. Check Mom’s diet (if you are nursing) – test out removing some things from your current diet to see if it will change how the baby behaves/cries. Things like dairy, caffeine, sugar, etc.

10. Thermostat check – make sure the baby is not too cold or not too hot in the home! '

11. Try pacifiers - the sucking motion for babies help soothe them and even helps with stopping hiccups!

12. Go outside - on top of giving your babies a stroll (which provides comfort through the smoothe, consistent motion), giving them sunlight may help with regulating their sleep patterns. (Another plus is that *filtered* sunlight can help treat jaundice in newborns).

13. Try baby ointmets - sometimes all the wiping and diaper changing can cause rashes for them down there. Using baby ointments can help alleviate irritation or pain for them.

14. Check their clothing - ensure they are in comfortable clothing that isn't too hot, or too cold, and not too constraining!

15. Massage them - just like how massages soothe and alleviate pain for adults, so can they for babies! Massaging parts like the belly can help with gas, which is a double plus.

At the end of the day, you are doing your best, and know that this (season of a newborn's life) too shall pass.