Crying is a baby’s language – it communicates an assortment of emotions and needs. It is a baby’s unique way to capture your attention and let you know that hey, something is bothering me now and I need help, please!
Sometimes it is not easy to understand what your baby wants by his crying, especially for new parents. But just like establishing a sleep routine with your newborn, over time, you will be able to interpret your baby’s cries. Because I dare say parenting is pretty instinctive for mothers. After all, it was you who carried and grew your baby in your life-nurturing womb and have been communicating with him for the last 9 months before his grand arrival!
Why Oh Why?
So what do babies cry for? Well, it can be for a wide variety of reasons. We are humans with emotions ultimately, but it doesn’t take a lot to realize that these reasons are essentially, basic physical and emotional needs, such as:
- Tiredness
- Dirty Diaper
- Hunger
- Pain or feeling uncomfortable
- Gas
- Anxiety or fear
- Over-stimulation
- Colic
- Feeling insecure
Let’s Get A-Calming
Certain cries can be easily calmed by feeding, changing diaper, or burping the baby. Other times, it can be a little tricky and takes a few trial and error to figure out what works best for our crying babies in different situations. Here are a few time-tested ways to soothe your baby.
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Hey Swaddle-deedle!
I love swaddling! Well, not myself, I mean babies. A swaddled baby tends to be calmer! Generally babies love to be swaddled snugly because it recreates the womb-like feeling and that makes them feel safe. Many parents find that swaddling helps their baby to sleep longer too as they are not startled easily.
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Rock-a-bye Baby
There is really nothing wrong to rock your baby, especially when she needs comforting, and so long as no violent shakes are involved, of course. You may sit in a rocking chair and gently rock your baby, or use the help of a baby swing and let the motion of swinging or vibration tenderly lull and calm your baby down.
However, some parents do not advocate to let the baby fall asleep in the swing or bouncer for safety reasons as well as not to form the habit of being dependent on the rocking motion to sleep. Instead, remove your baby from the swing and gently put him down in the crib just before he dozes off.
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White Noise Ho-Hum
Now we know that babies could hear sounds and noises from inside the womb, albeit muffled. Monotonous sounds like the hum of the washing machine, fan, air-conditioner, vacuum cleaner, or even a TV with its volume turned down in the background help in soothing a baby.
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Skin-To-Skin Contact
Some babies have sensitive skin or may be sensitive to touch and contacts of different surfaces. Wearing clothes may not be an appealing idea to them; hence the discomfort would make them cry.
You may try removing your babies clothing and rest his tummy on your chest. The warmth from the direct skin contact and the rhythmic sound of your heartbeat will bring much relief and comfort to a fussy baby. Make sure to maintain the room temperature and don’t let your baby catch the sniffles!
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Colic Calming Cuddle
Colic is when a baby cries inconsolably for a stretch of time, usually during specific hours of the day, and without apparent reasons. The cause of colic is still a mystery to parents. If your baby is colicky, know that he feels very uncomfortable and your aim is to help him get relief. Try resting his head in the nook of your arm, with his belly facing down and resting on your forearm, carry him close to your chest. Essentially, the idea of cuddling him that way is to put pressure on his tummy to help relieve gas that is causing the discomfort.
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Sounds That Soothes
Just as how some babies find white noises help them to stay calm, soothing music or sounds work just as well. You could serenade your baby with cute nursery songs or if you don’t think you’re much of a crooner, you could play your favourite ballads or classical music pieces on your blue-tooth speaker!
Or like me, if you don’t think having blue-toothed and WiFi gadgets in the room is a good idea, then you may want to let Fisher-Price® Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter do the job.
I love that its soft belly moves up and down in a rhythmic breathing sound and motion to help soothe your baby naturally. It also plays calming music for up to 30 minutes (so you won’t get tired from singing and fall asleep before your baby does!).
As your baby grows older, the Soothe ‘n Snuggle with its sweet face and satiny tail will be your child’s perfect cuddle friend!
Fisher-Price® products are powered by PlayLab – an onsite R&D lab – that are dedicated to designing and creating the best and most practical solutions to meet the growing up needs of babies of all stages.
Your Baby, Our Pride.
Tried and tested by the best experts (and that’s children and their parents, of course!). Every year, Fisher-Price® PlayLab has seen thousands of young families participating in its parent’s talks and toy-testing sessions!
And that is why, over the decades, parents can be sure of getting premium quality for their babies from a trusted brand. Join Fisher-Price® today on Motherhood Story as we journey with you through the “Best 100 Days of your life”.
Visit Motherhood.com.my to get your favourite Fisher-Price® products today. With minimum purchase of RM180 (on any items!) you can get a Gift-With-Purchase of Thermos x Fisher-Price® worth RM145.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for more tips in our next article!