Your baby can at times decide to cry, and you’re left wondering what might be the cause of their discomfort. Their
crying problem is even worse if you are a first-time parent or inexperienced babysitter. The discomfort or continued crying can be a nightmare to you more so if it happens in the middle of the night when you’ve limited options on what you can do to calm them down. Ideally, every parent wishes that their small children stay calm and happy. To the contrary, they usually hear or know none of it, and therefore you have to confront the situation and help them relax, calm down and stop crying. As such, to help them stop crying, you have to employ some tactics, some of which may work while others may disappoint you. Here is what to do when your baby cries for “no reason”.
Establish the cause of their crying
Just like grown-up people pass their dissatisfaction messages to others, small children also communicate to their surrounding that something could be a mess with them; it could be that they are hungry, or maybe they have wet nappies/diapers. It could also be an indication that they are seeking your attention. In other cases, the child may be telling you that he/she is unwell. Always attempt to understand the message they are trying to relay through crying and take the necessary remedies to address their grievances, and they will stop crying.
Make use of the baby’s bassinet and cradle
Unlike most adults, the baby’s skin is highly sensitive to its environment. Also with small contamination on the adult’s bed, you could predispose your child to infection; one of the reasons that can cause a child to cry for no “obvious” reason. There are cases where parents invade the baby’s sleeping space thus leading to an unnecessary and unwanted covering of the baby with the blankets and duvets used by adults when sleeping. The covering can cause discomfort in them leading to unexpected cries from the baby. Therefore, to stop them from crying as a result factors as these let them sleep separately in
their bassinet or cradle.
Check for a fever
Whenever a child falls sick, they usually communicate their condition by crying incessantly. Therefore, the best way to eliminate this possibility is by making a check of their body temperature. You can, therefore, use the oral or rectal thermometer to measure their temperature. It is crucial that you take immediate action and call the baby’s pediatrician if the thermometer’s readings are 100.30F and over.
Swaddle them well in a warm baby shawl or blanket
Your child could be crying due to insufficient warmth in their surroundings. Furthermore, they may be crying as they may not have been used to their current environment. To cure this problem, you can try creating inside the womb-like environment around them by tightly wrapping them in a warm blanket or baby shawl. You can then bring them closer to your chest and support them; they will calm down and stop crying.
Get them engaged by giving them something they can suck
Give her/him something they can suck. Through sucking, the baby achieves a steady heart rate, relaxed stomach, and calm flailing limbs. By meeting these conditions, the infant becomes peaceful and quiet.
Softly sing to him/her
People of all ages are known to relax whenever someone sings to them in a
soft and soothing voice. The case is no different with small children. Therefore, when your child cries for no good reason, try singing to them in a soft voice. However, if you are no position to sing or you have no hymn to sing to him, try using some soft sounds like “shhh….shhh…shhh…” for a prolonged period until it gets a rhythm in the baby’s mind, and she/he will stop crying. The other alternative to singing is a running water tap or vacuum. These two sources of white sound can provide gentle and soothing effects to the baby thus convincing him/her to calm down.
Engage him/her by playing with him
Children enjoy playing with people they can quickly identify. Therefore, try playing with them some peek-a-boo. For them to buy to your
idea of playing with them, let them lie on their back so that they can have a good view of you. Try rotating their feet as though they’re riding a bike. Give them smiles. Make some funny facial expressions that can excite them. Talk to them even though they may not respond to what you say. Entertain them, and they will stop crying. All you need is to learn how to influence them by stimulating their actions.
Seek help through hotlines
After exploring all the options that can help your baby to stop crying and yet she/he can’t stop crying, then it is time to call for help. You should, therefore, call for help from bodies dedicated to solving issues related to parents that struggle with fussy children. These agencies/bodies will listen to you and provide a likely solution to your specific case.
