After months of waiting eagerly, through much “blood, sweat, tears and fears” your baby is finally here, in your arms. Now the real sense of reality hits you! Your baby is no longer a stuff of dreams…. she is a real person, absolutely, totally dependent on you for her needs and well being. This awesome responsibility is enough to rattle even the most self confident woman (and her partner).

So how to make sure you have the knowledge, tools and confidence to be there when your baby needs you, as well as how to make your interactions with your baby something to enjoy for both, and something to look forward to each and every day? With time, patience and guidance, caring for your baby will become second nature……

One of the most frequent questions we at The Sanctum are asked is “How to soothe my crying baby?”

Until recently, conventional thinking in western cultures recommended that attending to crying baby immediately and picking her up as soon as she starts crying will make your baby a “spoilt brat” later on in life. Nothing can be farther than the truth. Very often your baby cries because she wants to bring something to your attention, or because she is uncomfortable. Reasons may be she has a wet diaper, she has gas which is troubling her, she is hungry, or is sleepy but not able to sleep and a host of other reasons.

Responding to your baby as soon as he starts crying conveys to him that his amma or appa is always there for him – giving him a sense of security and emotional well being. Talk to your baby – tell him that mummy or daddy is here and he does not need to worry. Attend to the reason for his discomfort. Change his diaper. Or feed him, if he is hungry. Maybe he just wants to be held and needs a “change of scenery” or wants to play with you. Try interacting, make faces, say silly things to him. You will be surprised he will respond !! Try different strategies if it is not so obvious why he is crying. You will be sure to hit bulls eye after trying out some combinations.

However, sometimes nothing will seem to work. You may get frustrated, be mad at yourself. And worse still, be mad at your baby. The latter is what YOU SHOULD AVOID AT ANY COST. Do not take it out on your baby and DO NOT SHAKE your baby in frustration. Your baby is innocent. It is NOT his fault. And you must understand it is NOT YOUR FAULT EITHER. If you see you falling into one of these situations, do not lose your temper. Put your baby in his bed, take a break for a few mins, take deep breaths and relax. Ask your husband , relative or friend to hold him. If none are available, ask your neighbor for help. This is not something you have to deal with alone. You will find people who are willing to help. Call your doctor. Contact us at Healthy Mother if all else fails.

Some tips to remember while trying to soothe your crying baby:

• Your baby will not always cry because she is hungry. More often than not, she may be looking for some comfort, often in your loving arms, your face near hers, your familiar voice assuring her everything will be all right. Often, skin-to-skin contact with your baby, by placing her on your chest and allowing both your heart beats to synchronize with each other, will help calm your baby, very much as the time when she was in your womb, and could hear your heart beating.
• Babies may experience colic due to the fact that their stomach is undergoing tremendous changes in the way it starts to digest food. This may lead to some imbalance and may show up as discomfort. It helps if you put your baby on her stomach gently, or hold your baby across your arms with her face and stomach facing downward for a few minutes. Colic babies sometimes find great comfort if you gently massage their bellies, with coconut oil. Check out our Infant Massage Training for Parents page for details on our training program.
• Many a time, babies may feel “gassy” and that would lead to sharp pain in their stomachs, much like adults. Help your baby expel gas by bending her knees, similar to “Pawanamuktasana” in Yoga. Make sure you are gentle and involve your baby so that she feels it is a joyful activity, thereby ensuring her cooperation.
• Ensure the environment the baby is in is conducive to it. Neither too hot nor too cold. A thumb rule is that if the surroundings are uncomfortable to you, it is uncomfortable to the baby. Keep the room comfortably ventilated and baby has the right combination of clothes. Your baby is not a creature of only food, clothes, and surrounding environment. Perhaps most important is how you interact with her. Involvement of mother and father is critical in building the right comfort level for the baby, where she feels protected, loved, and nurtured. Take turns to talk to your baby, play with her, cuddle her and in the process also be enriched by this experience.

Your baby and you are starting on a long journey together. So it is essential that both find comfort, trust, and a sense of well being with each other. You will find that as much as your baby finds comfort from you, many a time, you will find comfort from your baby for years to come.

Here’s wishing you the best of new motherhood!

We conduct regular training programs for parents who are local to Hyderabad. For those who live out of town, we conduct online sessions on topics such as:

• Soothing a crying baby
• Caring for a fussy baby
• How to manage baby’s sleep patterns
• Breastfeeding your newborn
• Introducing Solids to your infant
• and many more topics.

Here is more information about our Newborn and Infant Care services:

• Lactation Counseling Services
• Newborn and Infant Massage Training for Parents

Write to us using the form on the right in case you want help in any topic. We will get back to you as to the course of action.

For more Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Pregnancy, Labor and BabyCare, please click here.