Soothing techniques for a crying baby

taraperez04 · June 2015

My LO is 3 weeks old and I feel like she's constantly crying even if she's been recently fed or changed to the point I think she might be colicky. We have gotten into a bit of a routine where I turn on my white noise app, swaddle her, bounce her up and down in the air long enough for her to stop crying so I can stick a pacifier in her mouth and pray that it doesn't fall out while I hold her but this only works half of the time and I'm running out of ideas. Anyone else experiencing this problem and what techniques do you use to help to soothe your LO when they're crying?

ksimo6 · June 2015

My son loves being in the ergo. Without fail, he calms down when I wear him.

princessbmw · June 2015

Happiest Baby on the Block has great techniques. You can read the book or search YouTube.

dancegurl1118 · June 2015

Ergo or baby Ktan for me...definitely feels more secure in the ergo but either way it calms her down.

mishmardhiono · June 2015

Ergo for us too.. We were having bad nights this week due to wind, tried everything and nothing helped. DH is indonesian and suggested we try there traditional method. It has worked amazingly. It's an oil called minyak kayu putih cap Lang we put it on her belly she didn't stop burping and farting unassisted for 24 hours and now the non stop crying has finished.

Could be worth a shot?

Sammy K · June 2015

Have you tried shushing? In a newborn class, they told us 5 S's for soothing a baby: suck, swaddle, sway, shush, and ... I don't remember #5. Sorry. But shushing seriously works on every baby I've tried it on.

Also, Google purple crying. That's what our hospital has everyone watch before discharge.

katyertl · June 2015

Sammy K said:
Have you tried shushing? In a newborn class, they told us 5 S's for soothing a baby: suck, swaddle, sway, shush, and ... I don't remember #5. Sorry. But shushing seriously works on every baby I've tried it on.

Also, Google purple crying. That's what our hospital has everyone watch before discharge.

I think it's side/stomach??

But yes! Shushing helps us a lot. Mimics what they heard in the womb

seesea · June 2015

mishmardhiono said:
Ergo for us too.. We were having bad nights this week due to wind, tried everything and nothing helped. DH is indonesian and suggested we try there traditional method. It has worked amazingly. It's an oil called minyak kayu putih cap Lang we put it on her belly she didn't stop burping and farting unassisted for 24 hours and now the non stop crying has finished.

Could be worth a shot?

I'm intrigued. Where can one get this oil?

seesea · June 2015

I second the baby wearing and Happiest Baby on the Block (the 5 S's).

Also maybe it's just me, but whenever I do squats holding the LO he calms down. Works like a charm about 99% of the time.

queequeg09256 · June 2015

We use the vibration setting on the bassinet and on Los bouncer and swing. Seems to work pretty well.

frankengibbs · June 2015

If your LO's cord has fallen off you could try a warm bath, they put my LO right to sleep. Otherwise, cuddling and the pacifier work well for us.
Also, not sure if you are BFing or FF but if you're FF you may need to switch formulas or ask your pediatrition about the possibility of acid reflux.

virginiaunicorn11 · June 2015

Cross posting this, but I've been bouncing/dancing with LO in the kitchen with the stove hood vent on high to create noise. I also swaddle him and put him on my bare chest and rock him. Yesterday we found his baby play mat fascinates and soothes him.

ETA: taking him outside and walking him around, telling him about the garden also works well

mishmardhiono · June 2015

For the oils i would try any asian grocer or have a look online.

Minyak kayu putih cap lang is indonesian in a green bottle it must have a small red bird on the bottle because there is minyak kayu putih for many different ailments. The cap lang one is specific for babies & wind problems

Another easier one to find is Om Sum oil if you google for baby it has a few articles regarding it's effectiveness for wind/gas pain. Any asian grocer will sell a version of these oils. om sum oil was great for us but minyak kayu is our preference because she really had been burping and farting without straining/assistance. Both oils are around $6-7

LaurenAnn0405 · June 2015

My LO will calm down if I sing to him. I'll cradle him and rock him gently back and forth and sing (doesn't matter what song as long as it's in a low soothing voice) and he'll fall asleep in my arms

aissar · June 2015

We had the same problem and tried the Little Remedies gas drops. I checked with the pediatrician and he stated they were safe to use. The drops allowed her to pass gas and now the crying has stopped.

Raymer2 · June 2015

The swing and cuddling work well for my lo but when those don't work I know he has gas so I will either try to burp him or move is legs like he is riding a bike or jumping and it usually will make him release gas and make him happy again. GL

AlyLynn07 · June 2015

If baby is fed and changed and not happy after shushing, singing, walking/rocking and changing positions, he is usually overtired and fighting sleep. When this happens, we go for the Boba wrap carrier. He hates getting in it initially but is asleep within 5 minutes. It is so much more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn, supports a newborn's head very well, and (best of all!) leaves me with 2 free hands

Kiki119 · June 2015

My LO is starting to fuss a lot esp at night... Initially gas drop and gripe water helped
And now those tools don't work.. From the sign I can tell she is usually gassy..... She is always cry and fuss around dinner time... And lucky if she finally sleep around 2am

I have tried the 5s and they help to soothe her and sometime fall asleep... But once I put her down in her bassinet; swing or bouncer,'she will wait and cry again

What do u guys do once the baby is calm and asleep after the 5'S?

devyns2nd · June 2015

Warm blankets work wonders for gas. I wrap it just around LOs belly and lay him face down in my lap and bam he's calm.

amy4516 · June 2015

The Disney lullaby station on iRadio works for my little guy. That or country music with me singing - he mah be the only one that appreciates my vocal talent!

addingon · June 2015

Kiki119 said:
My LO is starting to fuss a lot esp at night... Initially gas drop and gripe water helped
And now those tools don't work.. From the sign I can tell she is usually gassy..... She is always cry and fuss around dinner time... And lucky if she finally sleep around 2am

I have tried the 5s and they help to soothe her and sometime fall asleep... But once I put her down in her bassinet; swing or bouncer,'she will wait and cry again

What do u guys do once the baby is calm and asleep after the 5'S?

No miracle advice here. Just wanted to say that we are in the exact same boat this week and I feel for you. It's been exhausting. LO will be 3 weeks old tomorrow.

In the evenings she's been so fussy and sometimes it lasts until 1am. It's not *constant* crying, but usually involves screaming while feeding her to the point where she'll possibly throw up if she's also not burping well (obviously we do what we can so to avoid this now that we see a pattern). Once the "I'm going to scream my head off no matter how hard you try to love me" phase is over she just whines around, wants to eat more, won't really calm to sleep, and repeat about 3 cycles.

Sometimes I wonder if it's a feeding issue...like is she not getting enough? But we FF and feed on demand so we use her cues to tell us when she's hungry/full, which makes me doubt it's that. She never seems particularly gassy, although l am about to look more into sneaky signs of this or reflux. Anyway, sorry for the "dear diary" post. I will post tips as soon as I get them nailed down! The 5 S's can be great at different times, but if it's my LO and the evening, she laughs in their face! Good thing she's cute.

HoosOnFirst · June 2015

Seriously, my mantra is "good thing you are cute". Because she kept me up from 245-4 am after 5 oz of formula (a record!) two diaper changes, massive projectile spit-ups, swaddling, UN-swaddling when she cried about it, shushing, a white noise machine and trying both bassinet and rock and play. Eventually I went back to bed and let her cry it out and she was asleep within 15 min I think. My guess is she had gas and it just needed to work itself out, poor baby! All my burping, massages and rocking couldn't get it done.

katyertl · June 2015

hoodoll82 said:
Seriously, my mantra is "good thing you are cute". Because she kept me up from 245-4 am after 5 oz of formula (a record!) two diaper changes, massive projectile spit-ups, swaddling, UN-swaddling when she cried about it, shushing, a white noise machine and trying both bassinet and rock and play. Eventually I went back to bed and let her cry it out and she was asleep within 15 min I think. My guess is she had gas and it just needed to work itself out, poor baby! All my burping, massages and rocking couldn't get it done.

I've found the taken my LOs legs and putting her knees to her chest for a few seconds then straightening them out and repeating works wonders for gas!!!! My LO is fussy over her gas and whenever I do this she stops crying within a few seconds and works out any farts, burps or poops that she needs to

HoosOnFirst · June 2015

katyertl said:

hoodoll82 said:
Seriously, my mantra is "good thing you are cute". Because she kept me up from 245-4 am after 5 oz of formula (a record!) two diaper changes, massive projectile spit-ups, swaddling, UN-swaddling when she cried about it, shushing, a white noise machine and trying both bassinet and rock and play. Eventually I went back to bed and let her cry it out and she was asleep within 15 min I think. My guess is she had gas and it just needed to work itself out, poor baby! All my burping, massages and rocking couldn't get it done.
I've found the taken my LOs legs and putting her knees to her chest for a few seconds then straightening them out and repeating works wonders for gas!!!! My LO is fussy over her gas and whenever I do this she stops crying within a few seconds and works out any farts, burps or poops that she needs to

Yep we do the "bicycle" legs and frog legs too and it does help. But she's still a little fart machine

daniellelea1985 · June 2015

When all else failed for us with DS, I'd take him in the bathroom with the lights out and just run the tub water...worked better than shushing or white noise. My SIL swears by her bathroom fan too. (Unfortunately the light comes on with mine..boo!)

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