10 Ways To Soothe A Crying Baby

Ever wish that a screaming and crying baby would just use their words to tell you what they needed? Unfortunately, crying is the only way that babies know how to communicate, but learning how to interpret your baby's cry and soothe them will reduce your baby's distress, and your headache too. Here are 10 ways to soothe a crying baby.

1. Establish the source of the baby's cry

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Just like adults have different tones of voice that express different emotions, babies have different cries to convey different needs. Establishing the source of your baby's cry will help you more effectively resolve the issue and ultimately lead the baby to stop crying. The most common reason a baby cries is because a physical need is not being satisfied. Physical needs include hunger, a wet diaper, sleep, and warmth. Other reasons your baby may be crying are as a result of pain, hearing a loud noise, or even if they hear another baby crying. (Berk, 146).

2. Talk softly or play rhythmic sounds

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The soft tone of a mother's voice is one of the best ways to soothe a crying baby. Whether you're talking to your baby or singing them a soft lullaby, these sounds will help to calm them. Don't like the sound of your own voice? Try playing peaceful music or creating whooshing noises with your mouth, a blow dryer, or a fan to distract the baby with other calming sounds (Berk, 146).

3. Massage the baby

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Just as massages can help soothe you when you are upset, they can do the same for babies too. When a baby cries, their muscles tense up as a stress response. Gently massaging the baby's body will help relax their muscles, which will relax them in general and ultimately help them stop crying (Berk, 146).

4. Swaddle the baby

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Swaddling is a great way to soothe a crying baby. This is because swaddling inhibit's the baby from squirming around while also keeping them warm, creating a relaxed state for the baby (Berk, 146).

5. Hold and rock the baby

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Some parents think instantly picking up a crying baby will inhibit emotion regulation, while to others it is essentially a reflex. The truth is that holding a crying child and gently rocking them back and forth does have a soothing effect and may help the crying subside. This act combines physical contact, maintaining good posture, and keeping the baby moving. All of these should help soothe the baby while also keeping them alert. (Berk, 146).

6. Distract the baby

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Using toys or other visually stimulating objects will distract the baby and may even cause them to forget why they were crying in the first place. Toys that engage multiple senses at a time are particularly helpful because they will likely require more focus from the baby, and therefore they focus less on the source of their crying. The best part of distracting a baby with a stimulating toy, the enhancement of the baby's cognitive development! (Berk, 214).

7. Take the baby for a drive

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This is another example of how comforting a baby isn't that different from comforting an adult. Sometimes when you're upset you just want to hop in the car and drive around until you feel better. The same holds true for babies! Taking them on a short car ride will help calm them by giving them a change of scenery and keeping them moving in a gentle manner. If you're lucky they may even fall asleep in the car. (Berk, 146).

8. Give the baby a pacifier

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Another topic of controversy is whether or not to give a crying baby a pacifier. Some parents think that introducing their baby to a pacifier will result in a dependence on the pacifier that could lead to thumb sucking later on. Others cannot imagine raising their baby without one. The reality is that giving a baby a pacifier or something to suck on when they are crying helps them control their arousal level, which will ultimately allow them to calm themselves down. (Berk, 146).

9. Combine a variety of these techniques

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The best way to soothe a crying baby? Combine the strategies listed above. Although sometimes less is more, engaging more than one of the baby's senses at a time is your best chance of getting them to stop crying because it will distract them from what they were crying about. Feel free to mix and match the strategies that work best for your baby. (Berk, 146).

10. And if none of these work....let them keep crying

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Although this is definitely not the ideal option for the sake of the parents' sanity, sometimes you just have to let a baby continue to cry. Realistically, babies cannot cry forever, and will eventually stop on their own if nothing else is working. Of course, try to cater to whatever needs you think will make the crying subside, and try techniques 1-9 first, but if all else fails just get some ear plugs and let your baby cry. (Berk, 146).

Additional Resources

https://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/families/in/soothe.pdf

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/crying-baby/art-20046995?pg=2

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Responding-to-Your-Babys-Cries.aspx