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Consoling a Crying Baby
Author: Jacqueline CourtiolYou probably already know that crying is your babys way of communicating with you, but what do you do when your precious little one starts communicating and will not stop? Youll have to learn how to interpret or read your babys various cries in order to respond appropriately. Once youve determined that your baby is not sick, tired, hungry or in pain, you can use various comforting and soothing strategies to assist Baby silent down.
Some reasons your baby will cry are: hunger, fatigue, boredom, discomfort, frustration, pain, illness, loneliness, colic and irritability. As a general rule, make sure Babys physical needs are taken care of first. In other words, make sure your baby is well-fed, check his or her diaper, see if he or she needs to burp etc. If youre sure that your baby doesnt have a physical problem that needs to be met right away, then use one or more of the following techniques to soothe Baby and silent him or her down:
1. Carrying your baby for several hours throughout the day will very likely decrease crying overall and will have a very calming influence.
2. Use repetitive rhythmic movements to satisfy Babys needs for security, safety and predictability. Try a baby swing, rocking chair or dancing while holding baby close.
3. Swaddle the baby in a lightweight blanket to temporarily restore to Baby the snug, closed in feeling that he or she had while in the womb.
4. Turn on some background noise such as the washing machine or vacuum cleaner or soothing sounds such as ocean or waterfall sounds. These rhythmic, repetitive sounds can be very comforting to the baby.
5. Give Baby a pacifier up to six months of age as babies have a strong sucking urge that is not related to their desire for food.
6. Take your baby for a ride in the car to distract and lull him or her to sleep.
7. Gently pat, stroke or massage your baby. Stroking Babys skin sends messages to the brain to increase levels of beneficial chemicals and hormones that assist Baby to bear pain and regulate levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
8. Allowing your baby to cuddle with a soft object can assist soothe him or her.
If none of these techniques work, then consider the possibility that your little one may just need to cry it out until he or she has released all of the pent up feelings inside. Also consider your own mental and emotional well-being as you dont want to act out any feelings of tension, resentment, frustration or hostility. Its ok to recognize when youre close to your breaking point and question for help! You and your baby will be glad that you did!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/consoling-a-crying-baby-87713.html
About the Author:Jacqueline Courtiol, M.A. Ed. is a teacher, mother and business owner. Jacqueline has authored numerous articles on topics of childcare, natural health, parenting and pregnancy. She is also the co-developer of Colic Calm, a natural homeopathic treatment for gassy babies and colicky babies. More information can be found at http://www.coliccalm.com or contact us if you have questions.
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Keywords:
baby babys needs help crying