Few things are more frustrating than trying to soothe a crying baby, especially during the first few weeks. She might be (1) hungry, (2) tired, (3) need a diaper change, or (4) none of the above.  After a while you give up trying to figure out why is she crying, and just want to know how to get her to stop crying.

What to do?

The problem with the advice you receive about soothing your baby is that every baby’s reactions are different. You’ll have to experiment to see what works and what doesn’t. Also what works one day might not work the next. Be flexible and willing to adapt to the situation. We didn’t get serious about sleep training until Noelle was over 3 months old. Until that time we had to used the following Surefire Solutions (aka secret ninja techniques) to get her to sleep.

• Gym Ball– We’ve spent hours rocking and bouncing on a gym ball while holding Noelle in our arms.
• Walking Around– The up and down motion of walking while holding our little girl works most of the time. But does get tiring after a few hours…
• Sling– We bought a wrap type sling after our arms were getting tired from holding her all the time. It was a godsend having our hands free, finally letting us do other things during the day, like eating.
• Going for a Drive– The motion and sounds of the car had a soothing effect as long as traffic was moving. Noelle would cry as soon as we hit  a red light.
• Swaddle– During the first 8 weeks swaddling kept baby’s arms from flailing around. No more startling herself awake!
• Kitchen Fan– Keeps odors away and puts baby to sleep…
• Hairdryer White Noise– The reassuring hum of a hairdryer reminds baby of the womb
• Shusshing– There is even an app if you get too tired to do it yourself…

These techniques work most of the time, with nursing only as the last resort. But as we discovered later,  these techniques should only be used to calm down your babyandnot until she fast asleep. If used often your baby could become dependent on these techniques,  preventing your little one from getting a good night’s rest.

Which Solutions Work for You?

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