Crying is the first way our children have to communicate with us. When they are little, it is the only way they express their emotions, feelings and needs.
For us as mothers and fathers it can be painful and worrying to see them cry and we want to ease their discomfort as soon as possible. That's why today I share you seven ways to calm your baby's cry.
Why do babies cry?
There are several reasons why a baby may cry. For example, one of the most frequent and that occur from the first days of life, is hunger. Another reason would be that there is something that bothers you, such as gases after taking the bottle or that your diaper is wet or dirty. They also cry when they feel tired or when they feel pain.
How should we proceed?
As I said at the beginning, it is worrying that our children cry and we want to do everything in our power to calm them down. So to be able to do something that helps calm your crying we must take into account two important steps:
First, relax. Babies are very sensitive and strongly perceive the mood of parents, especially that of the mother. So the first step is to relax to keep calm. As mothers and fathers it hurts us to see our children suffer, but we must try to keep the peace and thus be able to transmit our calm and security to our children. And if you feel that you lose your nerves, it is best to let him cry alone (Shaken Baby Syndrome: why when you lose your nerves it is better for the baby to cry alone) until you feel less tense or stressed.
Check and look for the possible cause of your crying. How much was the last time you ate? How is your diaper? Is there any garment or object nearby that bothers you? He is cold? Is it hot? How many hours are you awake? Did you get gas after drinking milk? These are some of the questions we can ask ourselves to review and see if the cause of crying is one of them.
Once we have mentalized to remain calm and have verified that everything is calm, then we proceed to try some of these ways to calm your crying.
Hug him
Human warmth can work wonders for people's emotional well-being. Just as you feel peace when someone hugs you to comfort you when you go through a bad time, the same goes for babies. He may feel lonely and feeling that there is someone with him gives him the peace he needs.
Rock it gently
Taking him in his arms and rocking him is one of the most infallible techniques to calm and sleep a baby. The rhythmic sway with which we usually do when walking or dancing helps them to relax slowly.
Coo it up
Sometimes your baby has already eaten, has a clean diaper and everything seems to be under control. However, it is time for his nap and he has a hard time falling asleep. In this situation, all you need is a little support, company and that you sing a sweet babysitter to fall asleep.
Sing to him
Mom and dad's voice are your baby's favorite sounds. Unlike a lullaby, with singing we can interpret some joyful or relaxing song that will help you get distracted and relax. In addition, it is proven that when we start singing to a baby, we get his attention better and it has great benefits for him.
Mom's smell
Sometimes mom will not be around and it will be dad who is with the baby. Recently we saw a sample of this, when a father put a used mother's shirt with his baby and he immediately calmed down.
Give him something to suck
In addition to helping them feed, the sucking reflex helps them calm down and calm down. If you breastfeed, you can offer it to calm down. If you do not breastfeed you can resort to the pacifier, just remember to use it in a controlled manner so that it does not become a habit and continues to be effective in calming you.
Use distraction techniques
If your baby is already a little older, you can try to distract him with an object or by calling his attention to something else. A tactic that is usually effective is to put quiet music to help you relax.
Let us always remember that a baby is not able to manipulate his parents by crying and that a baby should never be ignored or neglected when he cries.
What do you do to calm your baby's cry?
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | Research shows why the crying baby should always be taken care of. Leave applications: it is not as important to know why the baby cries as to try to calm him
