10 WAYS TO CALM THE CRYING

There’s nothing harder to bear than a baby who cries, and cries and cries…

If your baby is fed, changed and you’re sure he’s not sick, here are some ways to stop the screaming

Rocking. Brisk rocking really does work. If you’re buying a bassinet it’s worth looking for one that you can rock – it’ll be worth its weight in gold at 2am. Rocking over a bump, for example where carpet meets floor, can work even better. Walking with your baby can work well too – often new parents wear a track in the carpet – brisk walking often works better than a slower pace. Wrapping. Little babies often feel more secure when they are wrapped and it can stop your baby waking himself when his arms and legs flail around. Your midwife can show you how to wrap your baby into a tidy little 'parcel'. Water. Try a deep bath with mum or dad. It can be very soothing and babies often have a good sleep after a bath. Never have a bath with your baby if you have been drinking or are so exhausted you might drop off to sleep. Noise. It’s noisy in the womb, so sometimes a radio playing softly may soothe your baby. Other mums claim that the 'white noise' of a vacuum cleaner or washing machine can quieter their baby. And at least they won’t sound so loud! Sucking. Some babies are more 'suck' than others. For some a dummy is the answer, others find their thumbs. In an emergency some mums offer their own clean little finger for the baby to suck. Patting. Lay your baby over your knee and gently pat her bottom or pat her on the back as you hold her over your shoulder. Some mothers find that if they are trying to get an overtired baby to sleep, patting helps. You can put your baby down on her side and pat her gently, then roll her over on her back when she’s asleep. Front pack. If your baby cries a lot around dinner time, a front pack or sling may soothe him and let you get on with looking after other children or cooking dinner. Hit the outdoors. Put your baby in his buggy and head out. Even if he doesn’t stop crying, at least it won’t sound so loud in the great outdoors. Work on his sleep pattern. This won’t happen overnight, but if you learn to recognize your baby’s tired signs and get him to bed before he’s overtired, you may avoid the crying in the first place! Tired signs include jerky movements, facial grimacing, fist clenching and frizzling.

Most new babies should be fed, changed, cuddled, and played with and back in bed within about an hour.