A baby’s cry is perhaps the first announcement of his official entry into the world. The experience of your baby crying for the first time is perhaps the most exciting moment for most parents after their child’s birth. However, parents may quickly get into irritation and panic if they find themselves unable to soothe the child; worse of all, if the child cries more and more often as the days pass. Such a situation is very stressful for many parents, especially those new parents. Here are a number of tested and reliable methods to help soothe both you and your fussy newborn.
Possible Reasons of Newborn Fussiness
A baby’s cry is just another way of communicating with you. As a parent, it is your job to figure out what your child really needs. Here are some of the reasons why you have fussy newborn with you.
1. Hunger
Newborns have to be fed every other hour. In case they do not get their feed on time, they tend to get fussy and show their hunger by crying. When you try to feed them, they may gulp air and choke up the milk, which leads to more crying and vomiting.
Babies also get fussy when they dislike the flavor of the milk being fed to them. The physiological changes in breast milk can be brought about by certain drugs or food products. If you suspect that your child does not eat properly after you have certain food, then avoid it next time.
Yet, sometimes they just want to suck onto something. Using pacifiers, dummies or even a clean finger can soothe the newborn, getting the baby into a state of feeding and rest.
2. Tiredness
Young children need at least 16 hours of uninterrupted sleep each day. If these children stay up for long, they may show signs of irritation and stress in their behavior. You may find your newborn showing more agitation and mood issues around his regular sleeping hours.
3. Want a Move
Most babies stop crying after they are rocked or walked for some time, which indicates that they want to move around a bit. If your child is well fed and has had proper sleep, but still crys, you may try walking him around. You can also buy a rocking or vibrating chair for your kids to play in and make sure to fasten all buckles on such chairs.
4. Want a Diaper Change
Children wearing diaper for long hours can also show signs of irritation and uneasiness if nappies or diapers are not changed on time. The presence of stool or urine may cause itchiness and redness if remained for long periods, which can also leads to irritation and crying. If your child shows excessive leg movement, check his diaper to make sure if the diaper needs a change.
5. Uncomfortable Environment
Babies are sensitive to temperature changes and will instantly react to high or low temperatures. Adjust their clothing or environment temperature when needed. Also, excessive noise, strong lights or unknown people can scare your newborn; as a reaction, they may start crying.
To soothe your children, hold them close to you, reduce the noise pollution as muchas possible and dim any harsh lights. Playing soothing voices such as ocean waves or low music in their crib can also prove helpful.
6. Loneliness
When children feel lonely, they use crying as a way to call for you. If your child starts crying suddenly after beingleft alone, hold him and gently rub his back in circular motions.
7. Colic
When your baby cries for extended times for no apparent reason, then the cause is often colic. Gastric upset, intestinal troubles and indigestion are some of the reasons for colic. It is not something to be worried about and is sometimes helpful in ridding the bay of its frustrations.
How to Soothe a Fussy Newborn
According to the above reasons of newborn fussiness, you may figure out what makes your little one become fussy. Then you may want to know how to sooth a fussy newborn. Here are several safe and useful methods to soothe a fussy newborn.
1. Rhythmic Motions
Use rocking or gentle swinging motions to soothe your crying baby. Sway the baby back and forth gently or walk in a non-jerky manner around your room to help calm the kid. Do not shake the child since it aggravates him more.
2. Massage
Gently massage the legs, knees and back of your child in smooth circular motions, but pats are also helpful.
3. Relaxing Sounds
Repeating the child’s favorite sound or playing a lullaby as background can make them feel both relaxed and safe. Sometimes just the voice of his parents or gentle humming can be enough to palliate their grumpy mood.
4. Comforting Position
A child tends to feel restless and fussy if he is made to lay or sit in a cradle all day long. Give him a change in posture by holding him against your chest, and swing him gently or simply hold him on your shoulders and move up and down gently.
5. Using Pacifiers
When a child sucks onto a pacifier, it stimulated the motion of feeding which is very calming for them. It is advised to encourage the use of pacifiers whenever your child feels grumpy and restless. You may find an amazing feedback from your fussy newborn.
6. Wrap Your Baby Up
A child feels most safe and relaxed when he is cuddled and kept close, use thin blankets to wrap them up and place them close to your chest, you can also try a sling strap to stimulate the experience. In addition, try and lay the naked baby against your bare skin to stimulate the environment of a womb, this technique is most useful for newborns.
Besides, children love being kept warm, try wrapping them in a soft or lightweight blanket. This will relax their frenzy nerves successfully.
7. Deal with Colic
If your child suffers from indigestion, gastric upsets or gas problems, he is likely to cry up to three or more hours a day inconsolably. In such a case, breastfeeding mothers should avoid caffeine, onions and dairy products to prevent any gastric upsets.
8. Get Some Help
Fathers can prove to be a great help in soothing your child, they can cradle for longer time and most importantly give you a well deserving break!
Professional demonstrations of soothing options for fussy newborn are shown in the following video:
