HOW TO SETTLE YOUR BABY

We've all been there. You've fed, changed and burped baby and they still won't settle. It’s especially tough when baby won’t stop crying. You may be worried that something is wrong with your child or that your parenting skills aren't up to scratch. What I tell most people who are worried is that babies don't come with an instruction manual. So try not to be too hard on yourself.

If you have checked all the items off above, you can move on to trying one of the following techniques. According to Harvey Karp, there are 5 S’s to soothing an upset baby: Swaddle, Side/Stomach Position, Shush, Swing and Suck. Start with swaddle and work your way down the list, adding each new one to the old. Over time, you will see what your baby likes and doesn’t like. Not every baby is the same so test things out and stick with what works.

Dr. Harvey Karp’s 5 S's

1. Swaddling. Wrap your baby in a blanket so they feel secure. Make sure baby's arms are at their sides and the wrap is nice and snug. This creates a similar feeling to the womb so baby feels comfortable and safe. It also stops them from startling themselves awake.

2. Side or stomach position. Hold your baby so they are lying on their side or stomach. Babies usually find this position very comforting. To reduce the risk of SIDS, make sure you always place baby on their back once they go to sleep.

3. Shushing. Create "white noise" that drowns out other noises: run the vacuum cleaner, hair drier, fan or clothes drier. Babies are constantly exposed to noise in the womb. The blood rushing in the womb is equivalent to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Place your lips close to your baby's ear and Shush loudly in their ear. Try and match the volume of your baby's cries. As they settle down and become quieter you can quiet down too.

4. Swinging. Create a rhythmic motion of any kind. For example, take your baby for a ride in a stroller or car. Upset babies tend to like more like a jiggle than a swing. Think of jiggling some jelly in a bowl. You want to shift the jelly left and right by about an inch at a fast rate to jiggle but not break the jelly. However you NEVER want to shake a baby! Jiggling them emulates the jiggle experience they have in the womb when mum walks around. Make sure you always support baby's head so it doesn't shake or flop around.

5. Sucking. Let the baby suck on something, such as a dummy.This is very soothing to babies as it is their natural instinct to suck even when they aren't hungry.

Hopefully these techniques help soothe your little one and help save your sanity too! ;)