- 1. Wrap the baby in a blanket
- 2. Give the baby a massage
- 3. Pack the baby
- 4. Suck your finger or pacifier
- 5. Make the "shhh" noise
- 6. Lay the baby on its side
To stop the baby from crying, parents should try to understand the reason for the baby's crying so that they can respond appropriately to their needs.
Generally, crying is the baby's main way of alerting parents of any discomfort, such as a dirty diaper, cold, hunger, pain or colic, however, in most cases the baby cries because he is angry or afraid.
So, one should start by feeding the baby or changing the diaper, for example, and if these techniques do not work, you can follow the 6 steps below:
1. Wrap the baby in a blanket
Wrapping the baby up in a blanket, as shown in the figure, makes him feel more cozy and protected as if he were still in the mother's womb.
2. Give the baby a massage
Having a massage with almond oil on the chest, belly, arms and legs is a great way to calm the baby, as the contact between the parents' hands and the baby's skin makes the muscles relax, leading to a feeling of well- be.
See how to give a baby massage in: Baby Massage: step by step.
3. Pack the baby
A good way to soothe your baby is to pack it gently, using one of the following ways:
- Walk or dance gently with the baby on your lap; Drive in the car; Put the baby in the stroller and rock the baby for a few minutes; Put the baby in the sling and walk gently.
This type of back-and-forth movement is identical to what a woman did in pregnancy to sit and stand, for example, helping the baby to calm down.
4. Suck your finger or pacifier
The movement of sucking a finger or a pacifier, in addition to distracting the baby, leads to a feeling of well-being, which can be a good way for the baby to stop crying and end up falling asleep.
5. Make the "shhh" noise
The "shh shh" sound near the baby's ear, louder than crying, can be a way to calm him down, because this sound is similar to the sounds the baby heard when it was in the mother's womb.
The vacuum cleaner, the fan or exhaust fan, the sound of running water or a CD with the sound of ocean waves can be effective alternatives, as they emit similar sounds.
6. Lay the baby on its side
To help the baby stop crying, you can lay him on his side on the parents' lap holding the baby's head or lying on the bed, never leaving him alone. This position, called the fetal position, is similar to the position that the baby had in the mother's womb and usually helps to calm down.
If after using these techniques the baby continues to cry, you can try to join more than one way, such as wrapping the baby in the blanket, lying on his side and rocking him to help calm him more quickly.
Sometimes very young babies cry in the late afternoon, without an apparent cause and therefore in these cases, these techniques may not work every time. See: Causes of baby's crying.
It is important not to leave the baby crying too long because prolonged crying can cause brain damage in babies because when the baby cries exhaustively his body produces large amounts of cortisol, a substance linked to stress that over time can cause some brain damage to the baby.
Watch our video and learn how to eliminate one of the causes of baby crying:
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