Attachment Parenting

Simple Ways to Calm Your Baby

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by Dr. Melanie Beingessner

As new parents, it can be daunting to try to soothe a baby when they fuss and cry. Here are some ideas that might help you to calm your baby.

1. Dance together. Gentle music soothes babies rather than fast music with a lively beat. By swaying and humming to the music, you can entertain a baby enough to help her relax and stop crying. If you can, make a tape or CD of your favorite slow songs and enjoy some bonding time together.

2. Carry your baby with you wherever you go. Studies have shown that babies who are carried cry less. Babies relax when they feel you close and hear your heartbeat. To make it easier on your back, a sling works best for a new baby. Baby carriers are excellent choices for babies that can sit on their own, as their backs can support their bodyweight in the sitting position.

3. Swaddle your baby before you rock her to sleep. New babies like to feel snug and cozy, and swaddling can create that feeling for them.

4. Skin-to-skin contact can help. One of the nicest ways to accomplish this, especially in the evening, is to run a warm bath, light a few candles and turn off the lights. Sit in the tub, place the baby on your chest, and cover her with a warm facecloth. Babies like the feel of the close contact, the warm water, and the pretty lights. Bath time is an excellent way for dad to have special bonding time and it gives mom a bit of a break.

5. Infant massage provides great relief for babies. It helps to promote relaxation, improved digestion, bonding and brain stimulation. Studies done on premature babies have shown that massaged babies sleep better, and gain weight more quickly, and infant massage for full term babies provides the same results.

6. Watch what you eat. If you are a breastfeeding mother and your baby tends to get fussy, especially after 5:00 pm, what you are eating can be causing your baby distress. If mothers can eliminate dairy products and other specific foods from their diets on a short-term basis, babies tend to become calm, relaxed and happy. For more information on this subject, please refer to drmelaniebee.org

7. Consult with a chiropractor. The birth process can be a difficult passage for some babies and sometimes a baby is fussy because her neck or back is hurting her. If the problem is caused by a vertebra that is not moving in a proper pattern of motion, chiropractic care is safe and effective treatment to relieve the problem.

About the author:

Dr. Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counselor, a certified infant massage instructor and the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook, written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/eppstein/2278819584/

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