Ok, so he’s got a clean bottom, he’s been fed, he’s been winded so why on earth is he still crying?! Assuming you’ve met his basic needs and he isn’t ill, hungry or in need of a clean nappy, you could try some of the following tried and tested methods for calming your crying baby…
- Put him in a sling and carry him close to you – the motion of walking around with you will mimic the sensation of being back in the womb and will comfort your little one.
- Try rocking him. You can hold him in your arms and walk around with him or rock together in a rocking chair. Or you can rock him in his cradle or pram
- Try swaddling your baby. For 9 months your baby was curled up in your tummy and towards the end of your pregnancy his movement will have been very restricted. Some babies like the sensation of being swaddled as it reminds them of being in the womb; swaddling often calms babies because of the comforting contact with something warm and soft and the sense of being held firmly.
- Take him out for a walk in the fresh air, either in a sling or in his pram
- Try a car ride round the block. However, this is a desperate measure and not one to get into the habit of using!
- Run a warm bath and get into it with your baby
- Sing to your baby; it may at least drown out his cries for a while and help keep you calm
- Try leaving him to cry for a few minutes – some babies actually need to cry themselves to sleep and can become overtired.
- If things don’t improve, you might consider taking your baby to a cranial osteopath. During the birth process, particularly if it was a difficult one, the pressures on his head may have caused an imbalance in the skull which is causing him discomfort. A cranial osteopath very gently manipulates the skull to correct the displacement of the cranial bones. Many parents have found that one or two visits to a cranial osteopath eases the problem of excessive crying. Always go to a qualified practitioner; contact the Osteopathic Centre for Children* for more information.