"Waa!" "Waa!" "Waa!" "Waa!" - It's 3 o'clock in the morning and the two-month-old is up...again. This is the fourth night in a row. She needs sleep, but can't seem to get there. Neither can the rest of the house. She isn't hungry. Her diaper is fresh. She does not seem to want anything, but to cry. The soothing techniques are simply not working. Parents of babies with colic will recognize an experience all too similar to this.
It can be frustrating to no end when a baby is upset and you feel as if you cannot help. I have been through the experience of dealing with babies with colic several times. Two of my own children had colicky tendencies and I have also been a nanny or babysitter to babies with colic. I have found many ways to help soothe babies with colic through trial and error, as well as advice from various medical experts. I hope my discoveries and lessons learned can help others in a similar situation. Soothing Sounds for Babies With Colic: Running Faucet Laugh all you want. Then, go try it. Sometimes the most unconventional methods are the best ones for babies with colic. Many babies love the sound of running water. Okay, so this one could get costly and wasteful. An easier and more cost-effective way to use this soothing sound for babies with colic is to visit soundsnap.com. There, you will find various faucet sounds and other soothing sounds that babies may enjoy. The sound files are free to listen to and download. Put your music player on the repeat option for the best effect. Soothing Sounds for Babies With Colic: Soft Native American Music One of my favorite ways to help soothe babies with colic is playing soothing sounds and music. Most babies with colic love to hear the sound of music or other soft sounds. A fussy or colicky baby will respond the best to softer sounds. Loud or jarring sounds are probably not a good idea for soothing babies with colic. Because part of our heritage includes a Native American background, along with our vast array of musical tastes, our family enjoys listening to a variety of music sung or played by Native Americans. Here are some of the many Native American songs that I have found to be soothing to babies with colic. *Dawa (The Cradle Song) - Sacred Spirit *Cherokee Morning Song - Walela *Vision Quest (Dreamer) - Airo *Brave Hearts - Brulé *Lay-O-Lay Ale Loya (The Counterclockwise Circle Dance) - Sacred Spirit *Amazing Grace (sung in Cherokee) - Walela *(I Used To) Ride Like the Wind - Airo Sacred Spirit, Walela, Brulé, and Airo can be purchased new or used at Amazon.com. If you would like to sample any of these or try them on babies with colic before buying, some can be sampled at Amazon. At the time this content was being written, I was also able to find all of these on YouTube.com using the YouTube search feature. A few more Native American musical artists worth looking up for use on babies with colic include Manantial, Jackie Bird, Enigma, and Oliver Shanti. Soothing Sounds for Babies With Colic: Traffic For some babies, the sounds of the traffic flow can be soothing. If you live in the city, you may be able to record your own soothing traffic sounds with ease. If not, you can do a Web search for short clips of traffic noise you can download for free. Simply download the one (or more) of your choice and when you play the file, set your computer's music player to repeat the file or files. Soothing Sounds for Babies With Colic: Heartbeat This sound effect can be achieved naturally by allowing baby to hear your heartbeat. However, if you'd like to have a hard copy of a heartbeat, try BabySleepNoise.com. As long as the use is within the terms stated, you can download several comforting noises for free, including a heartbeat. Soothing Sounds for Babies With Colic: Rainforest Sometimes natural sounds can do the trick of soothing a baby with colic. Nature sounds CDs can be purchased at most major retailers. However, if you need something fast, you can also try some free nature sounds by searching YouTube or the Web. Bonus Tips to Soothe & Comfort Babies With Colic Tummy Rocking -- Lie baby on tummy across your lap, across your knees. Sway the legs back and forth in a rocking motion, taking care to support baby safely. I have found this helpful in relieving some of the gas and upset stomach that babies with colic can experience. Coupled with soothing music, this was always the best way to soothe and comfort babies with colic. Change Baby’s Diet -- Sometimes eliminating things from baby's diet can ease the stomach. Lactose intolerance or starting baby on juices and solids too early can cause gas and excessive crying that mimics symptoms of colic. Use Proper Tummy Care Motion -- Do not bounce baby up and down. While this is a common way to soothe a baby, if a baby is colicky or has GERD or acid reflux, this can actually make the symptoms worse. Instead try a slow, gentle rock or rhythmic pats on the baby's back. Babies with colic sometimes need extra care with their stomachs. Remain Calm -- Sometimes just remaining calm yourself can soothe babies with colic. Babies mimic the emotions of their parents and caregivers. The persistent crying of a colicky baby takes patience on the parent or caregiver's part. If you feel yourself getting stressed, it is okay to lie the baby down in the crib while you take a breather. The baby is better off there than in the arms of a stressed out person. Once you can regain your composure, resume calming the baby. The Power of Love -- Never underestimate the power of simple love and care. A little bit goes a long way, but a large amount can make all the difference. Through love and care that you can often accidentally stumble upon the most effective methods for soothing babies with colic. *I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Is your baby in need of some discipline? If your baby is crying frequently and it's been determined that it isn't a medical issue, you might need these easy discipline tricks for babies. As an experienced mother and former nanny, I have cared for many babies. Disciplining babies is not as difficult as it may seem. With babies, discipline is more about consistency and routine. Babies are not actually misbehaving when whining or crying. That is the way they know how to communicate. Easy discipline tricks for babies should be gentle and offer love, consistency, and guidance.
Love is a Simple, Effective Discipline Trick A happy baby is generally a well-behaved baby, in my experience. What makes babies happier than love? I'm not talking just hugs and kisses either, but those are good too. Love also involves taking care of all of baby's basic needs such as feeding, burping, diapering, clothing, playing, and soothing. Keeping baby happy with basic care, love, and entertainment may be all that is required for some babies. Routine as Discipline is Easy Forming a routine schedule for feedings, naps, playtime, and bedtime is one of the most simple discipline tricks for babies. If the schedule is followed consistently, most babies automatically become accustomed to it. Therefore, this can help avoid instances where the baby wants to get up and play at one or two in the morning. The baby who does this is not misbehaving because during the baby stage it is up to the parent to establish a routine. Changing the routine even once can form unwanted habits. Parental Limits Make for Easy Discipline As a parent, I fully understand wanting to do so many things for your baby. However, we must set limits. Do not give in to every single demand. Of course babies need to have basic needs met and also need to have some fun. However, it can hinder them later if you always give them every single thing they want. For some parents, this may not belong under easy discipline tricks for babies because it can be difficult at times not to give in. But trust me, it will pay off as they become toddlers and start moving into the "Terrible Two's" stage. Toy Purposing Simplifies Discipline Toy purposing is another of my favorite easy discipline tricks for babies. Keep different toys in different areas and for different purposes. Many times when babies get cranky, they actually are just bored. Pulling out different toys can help solve that issue. Have a special set of toys for doctor visits, another for car rides, one for park outings, etc. This way, babies don't bore with the toys as easily. Plus, when they get cranky, it can seem like you are giving them a new toy. If they don't see the same toys all the time, the toys can be a welcome distraction. Positive Redirection Makes Disciplining Babies Easy Some babies can be a little feistier and may need to be gently redirected into a different activity or situation. If a baby is getting frustrated over something, simply remove them from the situation. If two babies are fighting over a toy, remove both babies and give them each a different toy. If a baby is getting frustrated at trying to reach a mobile toy, place the baby away from the mobile for a while. Positive redirection is simply a way to let the baby know that the behavior is not acceptable without even having to say so. You are showing this to the baby with the easy discipline trick of removing the situation. Note: The author's positive parenting method has evolved into what she calls Upstream Parenting. |
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