What to Do If Your Baby Won't Stop Crying
Babies can cry for a variety of reasons – because they’re upset, they’re having digestive problems, they’re tired, etc. In today’s article, we’ll give you some advice on what to do if your baby won’t stop crying.
What to do if your baby won’t stop crying: recommendations
The way in which small babies express themselves is by crying. They may be tired or hungry, need a diaper change, have stomach pain or just want you to pick them up. There’s always a motive behind their tears, but parents aren’t always able to identify it.
And thus appears the classic question: What do I do if my baby won’t stop crying? We suggest you take note of the most effective methods:
1. Rock your little one
Nothing is more pleasant for babies than to be in their mother’s arms. When mothers cradle their little ones in their arms as they sway and sing, babies calm down as if it were magic.
In order for this technique to produce results, it’s important for mothers to keep their cool. If you’re relaxed, you’ll pass this onto your child.
If parents aren’t relaxed, then they can always seek the help of another set of arms. This can be grandparents, aunts and uncles, an older sibling, godparents, family friends, etc.
Sometimes this change is good for the baby, and provides a much needed break for tired parents!
2. Go for a walk
There’s no need to go far from home… In fact, you can even just walk around your house.
Whether your little one’s in your arms or in a stroller, the gentle movements will help bring calm. Some parents choose to use baby carriers or, in extreme cases, put their little ones in the car seat and go for a drive.
There are some babies that calm down just by being in the back seat of the car with the motor running. They can’t tell the difference between being in a parked car or zooming down the highway. They just enjoy the engine’s purr.
3. Massage
When babies are very small and cry inconsolably, it may be because they’re colicky. This strong stomach pain may appear along with vomiting, diarrhea and gas.
In this case, we recommend performing gentle massages on your baby’s belly or back. After your baby’s bath is a perfect opportunity.
Warm up your hands, rub your baby’s body with baby oil or neutral moisturizing cream, and say goodbye to stomach and intestinal discomfort.
This will also be a beautiful moment for you and your child to connect. Massages are a perfect demonstration of love.
What’s more, if your baby’s having a hard time falling asleep, you can provide a massage to help him or her relax.
4. The sound of electrical household appliances
While it may seem strange, a great number of parents find that using electrical appliances helps soothe their little ones.
You can place your baby near the washing machine or take advantage of the opportunity to do some vacuuming.
The sound of household appliances, for some unknown reason, has a calming effect on babies. And what’s more, you’ll get some cleaning done! What could be better?
“Nothing is more pleasant for babies than to be in their mother’s arms. When mothers cradle their little ones in their arms as they sway and sing, babies calm down as if it were magic. ”
5. Put on music and sing
If the washing machine technique doesn’t convince you (or your baby), then you can try a more traditional method.
If, for example, you played music for your baby while you were pregnant, you can try playing the same melodies to calm him or her now. Your child will remember the tune and soon settle down.
6. Undress your baby
Sometimes babies cry because they’re too hot or feel uncomfortable in so many clothes. If it’s summer, you can undress your baby and even take off his or her diaper. Let your baby enjoy his or her “birthday” suit for a few minutes.
If it’s winter, perhaps you’re better off dressing your baby in loose-fitting clothing that allows for range of motion. Putting too many layers can limit your baby’s movements and be quite constricting.
7. Breastfeed
This is a technique that never fails, at least for most babies. Even when infants aren’t hungry, they still want to be close to mom. At the same time, the act of suckling is naturally calming, making this method extremely effective.
If you’ve tried all of the above methods and your baby still won’t stop crying, then we recommend seeing a pediatrician.
Perhaps your child is experiencing some pain that you’re unable to identify. But if that’s not the case, then one of these techniques is sure to do the trick.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- de Cock, E. S., Henrichs, J., Rijk, C. H., & van Bakel, H. J. (2015). Baby please stop crying: An experimental approach to infant crying, affect, and expected parenting self-efficacy. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 33(4), 414-425. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02646838.2015.1024212
- Long, T., & Johnson, M. (2001). Living and coping with excessive infantile crying. Journal of advanced nursing, 34(2), 155-162. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01740.x
- Jones, S. (1992). Crying baby, sleepless nights. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- Illingworth, R. S. (1955). Crying in infants and children. British medical journal, 1(4905), 75. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2060770/
- Hiscock, H., & Jordan, B. (2004). 1. Problem crying in infancy. Medical journal of Australia, 181(9), 507-512. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06414.x
