I’m pretty sure you’ve heard me talk about my March Moms before! They’re an amazing group of ladies and we’ve been together since we were pregnant with our March babies so OVER two years! The women in that group are so diverse; They represent different age groups, have a wide range of children, different nationalities and different parenting strategies. With such a mix its no wonder that when I need advice I head to them. They always think of things I never would have thought of. When it comes to ways to calm a fussy baby their ideas and advice are top notch!
1. Babywearing, suggested by Alissa from Momma Always Knows is one of my favorite ways to calm a fussy or colicky baby as well. It keeps them close while also allowing you to get things done!
2. Visit a Chiropractor. make sure to use a chiropractor who specializes in children. A march mom swears that after every adjustment she noticed a huge difference in her colicky baby!
3. Breastfeeding on Demand. Along with babywearing this is another must. Whenever one of my littles starts to fuss the first thing I do is offer them the chance to nurse. Nursing is so much more than food it also calms babies, helps them feel secure and helps with bonding!
4. Remain Calm. A baby can sense your frustration and sometimes it can make the situation worse. While it can be hard try to remain as calm as possible so they feed off your calmness and not your panic. –Laura from 900.
5. Sing. This was also suggested by Laura and can go hand in hand with #4. Singing can not only help calm your baby but also you. Our song of choice was “You are My Sunshine”. I often sang it to all of my kids while I was pregnant with them and continued to do so throughout their lives. They still find it comforting despite my voice being horrible!
6. Swaddle. Babies spend 9 1/2 months in a cramped area nice and warm and secure. It can be beneficial for a lot of babies to be swaddled, it makes them feel safe and secure and cuts down on reflex movements that can jolt them awake after you’ve put them down! This video shows three different ways to swaddle your baby!
7. Don’t Swaddle. Wait what? Some babies LOVE to be swaddled, others don’t (hello my dear children). If you’re swaddling like a pro and they’re still not happy try the opposite! Don’t swaddle!
8. Skin to Skin. When practicing skin to skin aka Kangaroo care baby feels safe and secure and can hear your heart beat just like they did for 9 1/2 months. Bonus Points? When skin to skin is practiced Oxytocin is released in Mom which can not only be a mood booster but also improves milk let down. Learn more here.
9. Go for a Car Ride. Some babies aren’t a huge fan of the car but others love it! I was one of those kids and my parents often tell stories of driving me around town on nights I refused to sleep!
10. White Noise/Loud Ssshhing. I’ve done both and they’ve also been great for my kids! The white noise/loud ssshhing mimics the sound that baby hears in the womb!
11. Vibration. Mason was a huge fan of his vibrating chair. The vibration seemed to soothe him.
12. Bouncing/Jiggling. Kyla loved being bounced and jiggled around. I was known to even run or jump in place while babywearing to get her fussy butt to bed!
13. Gas Drops and/or Gripe Water. Some babies are fussy because they’re gassy. If you think that’s the case gas drops or gripe water can do the trick for you little one. We use Little Remedies because they’re dye free!
14. Dairy Sensitivity. While not super common some babies do have a dairy sensitivity. If you’re breastfeeding try cutting out dairy from your died for at least 3 weeks and see if it makes a difference in their behavior.
15. Constant Movement. Constant Movement can be exhausting which is why a vibrating bouncer or swing can be a great investment!
16. Change of Scenery. Sometimes all it takes is getting the baby out of the house. It can calm you which the baby will pick up on and allows them to take something new in.
17. Fresh Air. I’m not sure what it is about fresh air but there has been many a times that Mason was crying and we would step outside and suddenly he would stop1
18. Infant Massage. There are a lot of benefits of infant massage some of which includes relieving discomfort from gas, colic and constipation. More benefits here.
19. Give baby a bath. Water can be soothing for babies, they did float around in amniotic fluid for quite some time after all1
20. Listen to Music. Just like signing music can help calm babies and yourself.
21. Make them Run Fast aka Bicycle their legs. This helps get rid of any gas discomfort!
Every baby is different, you may find that some of these work for you and some don’t. You may also find that what works best for you is a combo of these things! I hope that something on this lists helps you find ways to calm your fussy baby!
Disclosure: This winter I’ve partnered with Little Remedies to share natural ways to soothe your little ones all winter long and beyond.
Thanks for so many great tips! I have to look up things like this in advance so that when I’m in the heat of the moment with my baby screaming, I have tools to rely on. I’m glad you mentioned the chiropractor, because a friend had told me about that a while ago and I’d forgotten. I didn’t even know before she told me about it that babies can have adjustments done!