Many moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to do things “right” when it comes to motherhood. I always encourage mothers to do what comes naturally and trust their instincts, but unfortunately there’s one area where what comes naturally doesn’t always work- CALMING a fussy baby.

Austin Mom's Blog, Calming Fussy Babies

Yes, mothers instinctively want to calm their upset baby, but how to calm them is almost counter-intuitive, meaning-what works sometimes goes against our instincts.

Austin Moms Blog Calming a Fussy baby

Here are some common MYTHS that need to be addressed first before we talk about calming:

  • Babies need quiet
  • Babies like to have “freedom” to move
  • A baby who’s held too much will be spoiled and co-dependent
  • All babies cry, there’s not always a reason
  • Yawning means they’re tired
  • You CAN breastfeed too much

The above myths are fairly common in our culture, but considered preposterous in other cultures.

Ready for some FACTS?

  • The noise of your breathing, blood traveling, voice, and physiological sounds are heard at about 70db in utero! Your baby is used to, and comforted, by sounds of pumping, swooshing, whirring, etc. Dead silence is actually disturbing.Happy Baby
  • When I swaddle babies tightly I often hear (older people mostly) say, “You’re not giving them any room to move”, or I overhear mothers proudly exclaim, “They just love exploring, see how they’re swinging their arms?” Truth is, mom, when your baby is swinging their arms wildly, they’re searching for boundaries. Babies love to be contained, otherwise they feel lost in space. Think about how tight it must have been in the uterus for nine months. They feel more secure and safe when they’re contained so, invest in cute swaddles, not cute clothes for the first few months.
  • Studies show that babies who are held often or worn by their mothers are more confident, more secure, and do better in school years later. The rule of thumb is, “Nine months in, nine months out”. For the first nine moths you can wear, carry, hold, and snuggle as much as you want without worrying you will harm the baby.
  • In a large majority of cultures, babies don’t cry unless they’re in pain. They are raised by a village of caregivers, carried/worn by their mothers, fed on demand, and they just don’t cry unless something is really truly wrong.
  • Yawning is not only a sign baby may be sleeping; it’s also a stress signal. A yawning baby may be saying, “get out of my face” or “please turn down the music”.
  • In some parts of the world, babies are breastfed 50-100 times a day. Babies know when they’re hungry and when they’re not hungry. You can nurse to feed, nurse to soothe, nurse to put baby too sleep, etc. and they won’t overeat.

In The Happiest Baby on the Block book and DVD, the author, famed pediatrician, Dr. Harvey Karp, teaches the 5 S’s for Calming because calming a baby should be treated like a reflex. If these techniques are done correctly, and in combination with one another, they work every time!

  1. Swaddling (tightly, arms DOWN)
  2. Side lying or stomach position
  3. Shhhhing (loudly in the air or use white noise machines/apps)
  4. Shaking (NEVER vigorously! It’s a gentle jiggle or bounce)
  5. Sucking (this can be a pacifier, bottle, or the breast)

Again, these must be done correctly in order to work and there is an art to some of these techniques. If you need help or one on one training, you can purchase The 4th Trimester package here and get a FREE copy of the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD.

What worked best for your fussy baby?

How to Calm Fussy Babies, Austin Moms Blog

 

1 COMMENT

  1. What worked best to calm my fussy son was to hold him while I sat on an excersie bal & gently bounced up and down. The up & down movement calmed him instantly & he usually fell asleep. A week before I had him I literally bounced on an excersie ball for around 6 hours a day trying to induce labor! This may also be a reason why he loves it so much!

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