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Soothing a Crying Baby Can Be Tough

By Zak Roussel

Some days you feel like you have done everything right as a parent but the baby is still crying. There are many different ways to soothe a crying baby but these are a few things that worked for us in the early months.

Shushing is one of the 5 S’s from Dr. Harvey Karp’s “Happiest Baby” method that was extremely effective with immediate results. The basic thinking behind baby shushing is that the womb is not quiet, so many babies need the right type of noise to calm down and sleep. Here is a short video clip that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/a_64-LbhT3M?t=99

The football hold is another technique that works well with most babies especially for colic and gas. Place the baby stomach down along the forearm and use the other arm to pat or rub their back.  If you position the baby so their cheek is in your hand they can also use your hand and fingers for sucking and teething.

Soothing music can also be very effective to help baby and parents to relax. Some people swear by classical music, and I even know one person whose baby liked heavy metal, but for us it was reggae. Don’t feel like you have to go out and buy a bunch of baby albums, simply put on your favorite music and do your best to move or rock the baby to the beat.

If all else fails put the baby down and take 5 minutes to yourself. Sometimes babies just need to cry and you both deserve a break. In no time, you will go from a baby to a five-year-old.

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