Dance With Your Baby
“Dancing with your baby puts both baby and mom in a good mood,” says Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of Happiest Baby on the Block. He recommends low, gentle music. Think soft like Feist or Paul Simon, and resist the urge to twirl your tot to Cee Lo if you’re going for slumber.
Put Sneakers in the Dryer
It sounds funny, but instead of throwing out that beat-up pair of Keds, stick them in the dryer. "Babies like that thump, thump, thump sound," says Karp. If you have the time, you can also plop baby on top of the dryer while it's running, as long as baby is properly supervised and the surface doesn't get too hot.
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Joy Ride
“Putting baby in the car can help stop its crying,” Karp recommends. This is a tried-and-true remedy parents have been trying for generations. I tried doing this with my son Liam after trying some of the S’s, and he was asleep in minutes. When I returned home I carried him inside the house in his carseat, and he napped nearly an hour longer than usual.
Put Swing on Fast Speed
This might seem obvious, but with Joey I was always afraid of rocking him too hard in the baby swing. Most infant swings have pretty good head support however, and by the time Liam showed up on the scene I felt more comfortable trying it. The fast speed also helps soothe a belly full of gas.
Bounce on Exercise Ball
“If you don’t own an exercise ball, save your money and try sitting on the edge of the bed,” says Karp. I tried this while watching HGTV. That way, I could shift my focus from Liam’s howling to how cute Daniel Bromstad looks in tight jeans.
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Put Baby Over Shoulder
Sometimes we rest baby on our shoulder for a brief moment to get gum out of our purses, but Karp recommends leaving baby there for up to 10 minutes. “The pressure on their belly can relieve the pain of gas,” he says. I found this position awkward, like I was going to drop Liam, but once I sat on the couch I was able to perch him on my shoulder more firmly, and he perked up.
Use a Sling
“By placing your baby in a sling they’re no longer flat,” Karp says. “Sometimes when babies are lying down, they cry because lying on your back can give a baby a sensation as if they are falling.” He also reminds parents back is best for sleep, however.
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High-Pitch Sounds
“Believe it or not, high-pitch sounds can wake a baby up and make it stop crying,” Karp says. “We’re talking a high singing voice,” he says. “Once baby has stopped crying, think low pitched rumbly noises like airplanes, cars and trucks.” Karp sells a soothing CD on iTunes, or if you’re feeling creative, you can make a tape of cars driving by yourself if you live near a busy road.
Pacifier
Although most parents have tried the pacifier at some point, Karp explains why babies love them so much: “Sucking is the icing on the cake,” he says. “It could be a pacifier, breast or even a clean finger if you’re on a long car ride and the binky is nowhere to be found.” He adds that some babies calm just by popping in the pacifier, whereas others cry so hard they can’t concentrate on the pacifier right away.
Keep Sounds Around
Just when a parent might think it’s safe to unplug the sound machine, Karp says that “a baby might stop crying when it hears white noise for a month or two, but then start crying again in the night at 6 months of age. … It’s good to keep the white noise going through the first year so they … put themselves back to sleep when they have other older baby issues, such as pain from teething.”
