The Best Ways to Ease a Fussy Baby

When your baby isn’t eating, sleeping or being absolutely adorable, chances are she’s crying. If your newborn is already a few weeks old, you can probably decipher some of her cries and you’re in tune with what she needs. However, if you’re a brand new parent with a brand new baby, crying fits may be rattling your nerves. Don’t worry help is on the way!

A huge component of baby care during the first year of life is comforting your baby and keeping her safe as she grows and develops. If she cries for long periods of time for seemingly no apparent reason, it can be very stressful. At some point, every parent has been in that exact situation. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most effective things you can do to ease newborn fussiness.

Burp that Baby!

The one thing I learned quickly as a mom was a burp or two were always in my baby’s immediate future. Even if I had burped him sufficiently, if he started fussing and squirming, I’d burp him again. That wasn’t always the cure to a crying fit, but it did help him work out gas bubbles and calm down.

Discover the 6 best burping techniques!

Check the Diaper

Even if you just changed her diaper, she may need a new one. Sometimes babies will surprise you with how quickly they can go – even if they just went! Also look for diaper rash, which could be making her uncomfortable.

Skin-to-Skin Contact

This is something I hear from other moms all of the time. They say when a fussy baby starts spiraling into a crying fit, they’d strip down to a tank top and make sure the baby could rest on their chest and feel their skin. The warmth, closeness, smell, touch and familiar heartbeat could put your baby at ease.

Swaddles that Soothe

Just like skin-to-skin contact may calm a fussy baby, swaddling can also calm a baby by giving her a feeling of physical security like she felt in utero. Remember, newborns don’t know how their limbs work, so they can easily scare themselves with their own arms and legs, especially when cries start to escalate.

Wrap your baby up in the perfect swaddle with these helpful tips!

Hit the Road

A change of scenery can help ease a fussy baby, so you may take an impromptu car ride together. The smooth vibrations in the car seat and the hum of the car may work together to provide a soothing environment for a fussy baby. It may due to the trick if your fussy baby is over-tired, because babies notoriously doze off in the car.

Gripe Water to the Rescue

Products like gripe water, derived from ingredients like ginger seed extract and fennel seed extract, can provide immediate relief from tummy woes. Little Remedies® Gripe Water can be administered up to 6 times in a 24-hour period and doses can be repeated after 30 minutes, which makes it ideal for feeding schedules.

Baby Massage

You don’t need to be certified masseuse to ease your baby’s fussiness or discomfort with a gentle “I Love You” tummy rub. Put your baby down on her back, then start rubbing her chest/tummy in a circular motion and mimic writing the letters “I,” “L” and “U” with two or three fingers across her belly. If your baby starts to relax and calm down, it could be that the gentle movement in her tummy is helping her pass trapped gas bubbles