Congratulations — you’re a new parent! You’ve begun a long and rewarding journey. You know that challenges abound at every age; your first one as a parent may be soothing a newborn baby who won’t stop crying. 

The piercing screams of your newborn may raise your anxiety and leave you feeling helpless. You want to comfort your baby. 

You can feel comfortable taking all of your questions about caring for your baby to board-certified pediatrician Dr. Andrew Satran at Advanced Pediatrics of Rockland. He has helped countless new mothers feel confident and comfortable with their new charge. 

Dr. Satran examines your baby and discusses one of the first things to check for if there’s undue crying: your own food sensitivity. You can stop eating foods that cause gassiness such as broccoli or onions and see if it makes a difference. 

If your baby is on formula, try changing the formula. If breastfeeding is going well, and Dr. Satran checks the baby and says there are no other health problems, he and our team provide you an array of methods to calm the newborn.  

If you’ve checked your baby’s diaper and they’re not wet, and if they’ve recently been fed and aren’t hungry, but the crying continues, what should you do? Here are tried and true methods that help your newborn baby settle and stop crying. 

Swaddling

Your newborn is in a strange environment. They have just left the comfort of the womb, and they’re exposed to different temperatures, sounds, and sights. 

Swaddling your newborn baby is a great way to soothe them when they cry. The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses the practice as an effective calming method. Your pediatrician or nurse at Advanced Pediatrics of Rockland helps you perfect this method of soothing so your newborn feels secure in the new environment. 

By the time your baby is 2 months old and shows signs of turning over, stop the swaddling. You don’t want them sleeping on their stomach. 

Hold your baby on her left side 

Your baby’s digestion system is brand new, and they’re consuming milk or formula that’s a new type of nutrition for them. To aid digestion, when holding your baby, place them on their left side or stomach and give a light, gentle back rub. It’s a universal calming process; who doesn’t feel more relaxed after a back rub? 

Now that the baby has fallen asleep in your arms, it’s time to put them to sleep in the crib. Always place your newborn baby on their back when it’s time for bed. Research shows that babies who sleep on their backs have a much lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome than babies who are put to sleep on their stomach or their sides. 

Use white noise 

Use a white noise machine or play white noise tracks that have a calming sound. Try running a fan on low speed or a track with the sound of a heartbeat that mimics what the newborn heard in the womb. 

Use movement 

Many babies are soothed by creating a rhythmic motion. Rock them gently in your arms or a cradle. Some parents put their infant in a car seat and take a drive. However, you don’t want this to become the defacto way your infant gets to sleep. 

Sucking 

Moms the world overuse a pacifier to help calm crying babies. Your baby may discover they soothe themselves by sucking a finger or thumb. This is perfectly normal for a newborn.  

Call Advanced Pediatrics of Rockland in Pomona, New York, or book an appointment online if you have concerns about your newborn. We’re your medical partner in your child’s health.