Soothe your crying baby

A crying baby can be deeply distressing for parents and can leave you feeling at the end of your tether. But there are ways of trying to soothe your baby - and if one doesn’t work for you, try another. 

Soothing specific problems

* Hunger Newborn babies seem to want to feed all the time and if you’ve recently fed your baby, yet she’s still crying for more, it can feel like you’re constantly latching her on or warming up bottles. But babies have small stomachs and quickly become hungry again, so feed her on demand to meet her appetite and, if this is the problem, she will stop crying. As she grows older, her stomach size will increase and the space in-between feeds will widen.

* Pain If your baby sounds as if she is in pain, check her over for any obvious signs that may be causing her distress. She may have a bout of wind, so placing her face down along your forearm and firmly but gently massaging her back will help calm her. You could also try propping her over your shoulder and massaging her back in circular movements to bring up the wind.

* Nappy rash A nappy left on for too long can upset your baby as the ammonia in urine can irritate the skin, causing an uncomfortable red rash. If your baby is suffering from nappy rash, change her nappy every couple of hours and leave it off completely when possible, to let the air get to the affected area.

* Colic If you think your baby is suffering from colic, talk to your doctor about treatments such as Infacol to help relieve symptoms. It also helps to keep your baby as upright as possible and wind her regularly when feeding. It may also help to not let your baby cry for too long before feeding, as this can make her swallow air. A baby with colic will be tense and difficult to hold, but she will take comfort from you holding her firmly.

A solution of cooled boiled water and sugar may also soothe her. Dissolve 3 tsp (15ml) sugar in a sterilised cup of boiling water and leave to cool. Offer half a teaspoon (2ml) up to twice a day using a syringe. Massaging her stomach in a circular motion can also help relieve her.

* Too hot or cold Babies dislike being cold, so change her nappies and clothes as quickly as possible in a warm room. At night, rather than piling lots of blankets on her, make sure the room stays at a comfortable temperature of about 18ºC (65ºF). In summer babies get hot very quickly and can become dehydrated, so if she’s crying make sure she’s not too warm and give her plenty of fluids to drink. Keep her in the shade and well protected when she’s outdoors and invest in a fan if it is difficult to keep cool indoors.

* Traumatic birth If your baby experienced a traumatic birth, such as a quick or slow delivery, the use of ventouse or forceps, or the cord was wrapped around her neck, or she seems constantly restless and irritable, she may have minor injuries to her delicate skull bones. Cranial osteopathy may help relieve this. Call the Osteopathic Information Service (see below) for a qualified practitioner.

Other techniques to soothe your baby

If you can’t seem to calm your crying baby, try any of the following techniques:

* Swaddling Babies love feeling warm and secure, and wrapping or swaddling them in a blanket can be very reassuring and soothing for them. You can also place a newborn next to your heart, so she can hear its familiar beat.

* Turn down the noise While babies generally enjoy background noise and can go to sleep to familiar sounds such as the vacuum cleaner, loud or sudden noises can upset them, so keep the noise down to a low level around her and give her a quiet room to sleep in.

* Breathing Match the rhythm of your breathing to hers, then slow it down while stroking her head more and more slowly.

* Massage Babies love the feel of your touch and most love a massage. Place her on a blanket safely on the floor and massage her limbs and body in a gentle, circular motion.

* Motion Babies love motion, and gently rocking her against your shoulder may quieten her down. As a last resort, you could also take her for a car ride - the sound of the engine and the movement may calm her crying.

* Something to suck on Babies love something to suck, so give her a pacifier (dummy) or teething ring to suck on, or, if she’s old enough to be teething, a rusk to chew.

If your baby is crying more often or for longer periods than usual, or if she starts crying in a different way, it may mean something is wrong, so seek your GP’s advice.

Who can help?

There are organisations that can offer advice and support if you are finding it difficult to cope with your crying baby:

* Cry-sis Telephone advice on coping with a crying baby. Tel: 020 7404 5011, 24-hours, seven days a week.

* Parentline For support and advice if you feel stressed. Tel: 0808 8002222, 9am-9pm Mon-Fri, 12am-6pm Sat.

* The Medical Advisory Service A helpline staffed by trained nurses who can advise you about treating colicky babies. Tel: 020 8994 9874, 6pm-9pm Mon-Fri.

* Osteopathic Information ServiceWill help you find a qualified practitioner in your area. Tel: 020 7357 6655, 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri.