How to calm a crying baby

KNowing how to calm a crying a baby can be daunting. For New parents particularly it can be overwhelming when their baby starts crying. Some newborns scream from birth and it can seem like there is something very, very wrong.

Even for support people it can be disconcerting.  Some babies are born calm and then after a few days or weeks cry and scream with such ferocity that it seems there is something really wrong.

Just last week I was with a 3 hour old baby who screamed- not just cried, but screamed from birth.  She had been on her mums’ chest since birth and appeared just cranky.

It can be difficult to remain calm in this situation. However it is important to remain calm.  This particular baby who I will call Sophie, calmed  and was happy to sleep on her mum’s chest after about 6 hours of age.

So was there problem?  I don’t know.

Perhaps she is a particularly communicative baby and when she is able to communicate with words or actions she will be a great communicator. Perhaps she was saying I was really happy where I was and now I am in this new environment and I don’t know what has happened .  Maybe she was saying I have a headache.  Maybe she was too hot.

The important message I want  to convey is that it is important to remain calm.  Try not to be afraid of the crying/screaming. Even though it can be easier to react and become anxious in this situation, if you remain calm, your baby will pick up on it and will calm quicker.

It is about being with her or him and helping her or him through whatever it is they are feeling even if you don’t know at the time what it is.

For me, I think of it as that the baby is telling me something.  The trick is to work out what they are saying.  This can take some time  to work through and that is normal.  It is part of getting to know each other.

So  once you have gone through any possible causes(eg nappy, bellyache, hungry) and your baby is still crying, maybe they just need to be held calmly and supported through whatever it is they are feeling. Then they can often relax and sleep knowing that all is well and they have the support they need.