How to Calm a Crying Baby: Pediatrician Tips

If you are a new care provider, a new parent of a baby, there's going to come a time where you're going to have a busted baby who's just unreasonably unreasonable. You fed them, their diaper is clean and dry, and for whatever reason, they're just busting and having a hard time getting to sleep. What are the tried and true tricks and tips that you need to know to get them to calm or come in your way next? Developed by Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician and approved by this pediatrician and dad of three out of the five S's. The baby is behaving on cue. I'm going to start by putting them on his side. Again, sometimes your face is just really overstimulating for themselves. Giving them a side-lying, helping them look away, supporting their head, and then adding a sway. So he's side-lying, he's swaying. Sometimes I'll put them all the way on their tummy, wrapping their arms in, helping them give themselves their own hug. That's a good start. But then, oftentimes they need that full support of a swaddle. Yep, so not enough. So you can check out our YouTube video all about how to swaddle a baby. Adding in some shushes. Getting them all nice and wrapped up to create kind of that nice warm hug, that feeling of being back in that uterus. He was just in mom's tummy for nine months. The babies love that nice warm hug and squeeze of the swaddle. And so he's swaddled. We're swaying. We're shushing. We're side-lying. Sometimes that's all it takes, but sometimes it takes a little more. And so then we add the final act. Suck. The non-nutritive sucking on a pacifier. Again, my baby's already fed. He's got a clean dry diaper. Letting him gently take the pacifier. This is releasing endorphins that are calming the baby. I'm sweeping softly, I'm swaying. I'm shushing, letting him calm down. Getting ready for sleep. You know, things I don't say. There are times when all these tricks may not work for you. A crying baby is an alive baby. It is okay. You're feeling overwhelmed. Set your crying baby down someplace safe in that crib. Someplace that they are going to be okay to cry for five minutes. Then you can walk away and be set. Come back. Love your baby all over. Start your 5 S's again. Again, he's swaddled. We're swayed. Side-lying. We're shushing. Hopefully these are tips and tricks that can help you. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel. We've got lots more content coming your way. We're doctors. But not your doctors. Anything we've said in this video is for education or entertainment purposes only. It is not medical advice. Any specific medical questions you have should be directed to your doctor.