I Need a Trick to Calm My Newborn!!

Go to the bookstore or library and get the book and/or DVD by Dr. Karp - The Happiest Baby on the Block. I got it from the library and the dvd was amazing to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddRkI5wVIqQ - you can see it in action and this link is an interview.

Babies are developing like crazy, their whole entire world is changing from one day to the next and is completely different than it was - imagine how different inside your womb (loud and swishy) and out in the world are. Their brains and nervous systems are sensitive. They need help to feel at home in their new world :)

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Google "5 s's"

I think that the same as the Dr. Karp answer

Swaddle
Suck
Shush
Swing
Sideways

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Another vote for the 5's. Dr. Karp has a video you can watch too. They are all great tricks!!!

But "shushing" worked best for us. Consistent, loud and in their ear.

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My hubby and I love to bounce them and listen to ocean waves crashing when they get colicky. My son always responded to this one song by Ladytron. It was brilliant. He'd start screaming, in the car, in the house, I'd put the song on, and he'd just go all quiet. His older sister was obsessed with this song when he was born, so he heard is multiple times every day. It was like his "going home" song or something.

I'd try sound effects and different position holds. The Happiest Baby on the block has great descriptions of different ways to hold babies that calm them down.

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Hi, K.. Please -- take a deep breath. I know it's super tough being a new mom and I'm guessing this is your first baby--?

There is no "trick" and never will be. I know it's not what you want to hear but it's good to figure that out early so you don't stay frustrated through her infant stage.

You've checked everything, but keep in mind the most important thing: She cannot communicate with you in ANY way other than by the sounds she makes, and those are often nearly impossible to interpret. It frustrates babies, too, that they cannot communicate.

You say she's not gassy but she may be, even if you just got a big burp out of her. She may be hungry again even if you fed her recently. She may be too hot, too cold, her clothes or blanket may itch or poke her; she cannot tell you and you can't see or detect any of that, nor can you really go by what you feel yourself -- you may feel it's fine inside the house when to her, it's too hot since she's all bundled up. She may have woken with a jerk that just startled her (babies do that, don't panic). She may be crying because she wants to be held, or wants to be put down and not held, or wants to sit up, or wants to lie down. She may feel that her diaper's full and dislike the sensation.

I know it's hard to hear "You just can't tell" but that's how it is with infants. You just run through the list of possibilities like I just did, and do your best to alleviate whatever it may be -- picking up, putting down, unbundling, bundling, etc. If she still cries, just hold and rock her. Rock her to sleep --she's plenty young enough for that to be fine. You cannot, cannot, cannot spoil an infant with holding and comforting, no matter what anyone says; they are just not mentally developed enough yet to be spoiled or to see comforting as, "Aha! I'm getting what I want so I'll cry more to get it again!" No. Comfort her however you can and keep on doing it -- she will learn that you are always there for her and that she can feel secure.

Babies cry for no reason because...they cry for no reason sometimes. Or they cry for the many small reasons above. You will figure out, though it takes time and tears, the difference between her "hungry cry" and her "upset cry" and her "sleepy fussy cry" but it will take you and her time to figure it out together. Meanwhile, keep on trying, and be sure your husband or significant other participates too and helps with the comforting and holding and figuring it all out!

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I have 2 kids ages 20 months and 7 weeks and they grow so fast! Take your newborn and snuggle with him as much as possible! Nurse him rock him put him in a sling. They have been in your tummy safe and secure for 9 months. That's all they want is to be next to their mommy! Besides you won't be able to snuggle like that for long! Enjoy it while it lasts!

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Read Dr. Sears' book "The Fussy Baby" and his other book "Nighttime "Parenting." They both have a wealth of good information on causes for excessive fussing and remedies.

All I can say is for me, these books were lifesavers.

http://www.amazon.com/Fussy-Baby-Book-Parenting-High-Need...

http://www.amazon.com/Nighttime-Parenting-Your-Child-Slee...

The following Sears book talks about the benefit of child-wearing(using a Mobi wrap or sling during the day while working etc.) and co-sleeping as a way to calm baby:

http://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Parenting-Book-Commonsen...

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is it after she eats? if so it could be reflux. sometimes they just want to be held and feel secure :) cuddle your baby :)

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I would take my daughter outside even if it's cold. Sometimes, just the change in scenery or change in temperature would be enough to "surprise" her out of her crying. Of course, dress her appropriately, and you don't have to go far, just out on the porch seemed to be enough.

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All my children did this. I would nurse them more when they did this. Hang in there!

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Whatever you did when she was in your tummy is what you need to do now. When I was pregnant, I had to vacuum a lot (It was a daily requirement at my nanny job). When my son was born, all I had to do was turn on that vacuum and he was happy. Now he HATES that thing. Lol

Also, when he was born I sang him the same song (Silent Night) every time he got upset and after a while it calmed him down just to hear that song.

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Babies cry because that is how they communicate that something is amiss with them. They are little people, and things that might seem little to us are big and even huge to them, because they are so small and new and don't know what is really big and small. The plain fact is, just because she doesn't have an obvious problem (diaper pin sticking her, burp bubble in her tummy) doesn't mean she doesn't actually have *some* problem. What if she has a stiff neck from sleeping wrong? She might *look* fine and seem that she has no problem, but she is actually hurting.

My trick to calm babies - nurse them, hold them, and/or put them in a sling or other baby carrier that keeps them tight and cuddled.

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Not sure if this qualifies as a trick but it worked for me. Put on some music and rock her. Each time you sit to rock her snuggle her up in a blanket and turn on that music. after a couple times you will be able to wrap her up good an put her in the swing with that music going and it will sooth her. While I was pregnant I listened to a barbara striesand greatest hits cd all the time whenever I was stressed or upset it was the first that went in. It was my favorite. when my son was born all I had to do was turn it on and he would settle down. good luck

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We did Dr. Karps's "S's." We used the swing, the bouncy seat, the carseat. Sometimes baby just really wants to be held or rocked.

I do know what you mean about the inconsolable crying. I can be so stressful and exhausting. When our oldest was a baby I was a SAHM and the tv show Gilmore Girls was on the Family Channel twice a day. The theme song used to calm him when nothing else did. (This will be a nice story to tell all his friends before he goes to the prom!) I actually recorded just the theme song on DVR one day and would play it over and over again in the middle of the night when nothing else worked. It usually only took 3 or 4 plays before he fell back to sleep.

I really liked most of the suggestions you received. Just keep trying things until you find the ones that work with your little one. Then you'll have a nice "bag of tricks" and can run through that list until baby calms down. Sometimes you have to go through your "bag of tricks" a couple of times, but it really should work.

Good luck!!! I know it can be tough.

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This may sound odd but when my youngest daughter was fussy for no apart reason I'd hold her close to me and pat her bottom ever so lightly - it always seemed to work =)

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Babies cry to relieve stress. We were told in our childbirth class to expect inconsolable crying at about the same time every day for a short time (1/2 hour or so). Sure enough, both our kids did this. Just comfort as you can and let her cry. If it continues I would take her to her doctor, just to be sure.

Also, to help with sleep I used to swaddle my babies up tight and then strap into one of those vibrating bouncy seats. Worked like a charm!!!

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My oldest loved of all things to listen to the hairdryer. The day I brought her home from the hospital, she was TICKED from the hearing test and various other tests they tried to perform on her. We finally said enough. I was trying to get ready, had had my shower, was dressed and had my make-up on and wet hair. I finally handed her to my husband wo was attempting the "bounce" and turned on the hairdryer. She immediately stopped crying and started looking around and settled down. (My husband was a pilot, and always turned the hairdryer on to warm up the bathroom in hotels and carried that over to warming the bathroom up at home) She was familiar with that sound and it was evidently soothing to her. Worked every time.

My niece had to put her middle child in the laundry room and turn on the dryer. In fact the child slept in there for 2 years in a portable crib. My niece would always make sure she had a load of laundry to dry and turn it on at bedtime.

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Things that worked for mine... And btw, the random crying tapers off about 12 weeks, so don't worry.

1) White noise (they sell these CDs with all sorts of white noise for babies. We used to play his favorite on repeat.)
2) Vibrating bouncy seat by Fisher Price. He LOVED it for the first four months.
3) Babywearing. The Moby Wrap is comfy for you and the baby.
4) Lots of nursing. You can read or watch TV while she nurses. It's downtime for you both.

Babywearing can have an incredibly calming effect - especially if you keep moving. For a child of that age, I found the Moby-wrap style carrier the most comfortable for the baby and me - plus, you can nurse in it which of course is a another great calming tool for a crying baby.

Exhaust fan!! Totally calms son down. Also, there is an ap on Android phone called naptime sound machine. Our son is comforted by those sounds. Also agree with 5 's. Love adan and anais swaddle blankets. Will seem huge now but they work great when baby is bigger and can get out of swaddle. Our son throws a fit while being swaddled, then totally calls down. He is medicated for reflexes to. The symptoms of reflux are not always so obvious. We liked gripe water too. Hang in there! Our first 8 weeks were pretty rough.

some families use the swing, some use the bouncy seat. My concern in recommending either would be: there have been many reports of children dying in carseats.....so how is that sleeping position any different from the swing or bouncy? It is a concern for me, because I do know that I've had to repeatedly reposition the baby's head to open the airway. They relax in the equipment, their head sinks down.....& it scares me!

I use swaddling, soft music, & dim lights. Once you get your system in place, life will be much easier! & above all else.....you have to be calm & relaxed or the baby will feed off of it!

Has anyone suggested Hylands Homeopathic Colic Tablets?

We called them All Better Pills. They are chamomile based, like giving chamomile tea. Very calming and takes the edge off so they can calm down. They are such a great product, every new baby in our life I give a bottle along with a baby gift and always, always hear from the grateful new mom's that this was their favorite gift. You pour 2 pills into the cap and then into the babies mouth (don't touch it with your fingers, something about changing the chemistry). It is sweet in a lactose base and as soon as it hits the wet of the mouth it dissolves. As my kids grew up and they got so upset they couldn't calm down, or couldn't relax themselves enough to fall asleep we still go back to them and eventually we went to Calms Forte For Kids same effect helps them relax, naturally and totally non addictive.

http://www.hylands.com/products/colic.php

Good luck and remember, this moment will pass soon.