Wow, I still can’t believe over a month has passed since our little Miss Brooke was born. We have replaced our game nights and social gatherings with going to bed early and snuggling with our baby girl. Because this is our first child, we really have had a huge learning curve! I remember feeling so unprepared and overwhelmed as I registered for our baby showers. How was I supposed to know which bottles she would like or which devices would calm her cries? I hadn’t even met her yet!
My mom assured me that no one really knows the first time around and even then, every child is different but that we would figure it out. And she was so right–every day can be different. Sometimes is it easy to sooth her, and sometimes we have to use 3 of the 4 methods I talk about below. So, my best advice is not to worry, you will figure it out as you go. But knowledge is power, and knowing different methods can help you try different things to calm those cries when the moment comes.
Here are 4 Ways to Soothe a Newborn that we found helpful:
1. Noise White noise app, hairdryer, vacuum or shh-ing sounds work really good. We use the good old fashion “shh” the most and it works like a champ. You just have to make sure you adjust your volume to be louder than your baby. We also talk calmly to her when she is really fussy to try to get her attention and calm her down.
2. Swaddle The swaddle will save you not only sleep, but also help soothe your little one. Their little legs and arms can get to moving so fast when they are upset and holding them close or swaddling them can calm them down. We found this worked best when she really got worked up and started moving her limbs like crazy. By wrapping her tight, it caused her body to stop and calm down, thus the crying got softer.
3. Movement Don’t Stop. Pass Go and make sure you have Duracell Batteries on your registry list. Trust me. My go-to soothing device is a Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper. Brooke takes most of her naps in it and loves it! You don’t want to run to the store at 11am for batteries for your soothing items or have to pace around your house for hours with your already sore arms doing all the work. Many new parents spend a lot of time preparing for their baby, but often forget the little things like good quality Duracell batteries. Experienced parents trust ONLY Duracell batteries to provide dependable power for devices that help soothe their baby.
I’m not sure exactly why movement works so well. I am assuming because newborns are used to you moving around all day while they are in the womb, but I’m really not sure. It just works.
4. Sucking It sounds simple, and it is. Feeding your newborn or giving them a pacifier works wonders. You can often tell the difference between when your baby is crying for food or when they are not. They make movements with their mouth or start sucking their hands. As a first time parent, when I read that you would be able to tell the difference I was nervous that I wouldn’t, but rest assured, it is VERY clear.
Hopefully these 4 Ways to Soothe a Newborn work for you! Like I said, we often have to use these in combination with each other to soothe our Little Miss.
What other techniques do you use to soothe your baby? Leave an answer in the comments and you will be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!
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