7 Tips for How to Soothe a Fussy Newborn Baby for First Time Moms

As a first time mom, finding a way to soothe my little one was challenging. Your newborn was warm and cozy in your womb and now they have to adapt to the outside world where things are completely new for them. It’s no wonder that it takes them a little bit of time to calm down and finally fall asleep. With a little bit of research and some trial and error, I was able to get my baby to sleep with these tricks listed below.

Swaddle Them

Swaddling your newborn baby properly with the blanket that they give you in the hospital (or any other lightweight baby blanket) will usually work for those first few weeks. However, once your baby becomes more mobile and kicking their arms and legs, they are bound to wiggle their way out of them. Once you get to this point, I highly recommend switching to the velcro baby swaddles. They keep your baby swaddled nice and snug and prevent them from getting their arms out of the wrap.

NOTE: Remember to stop swaddling baby once they are around 3 months old or they have started to roll. Utilizing a swaddle for longer than necessary can be dangerous for baby. Please consult your baby’s physician for additional information on how to keep your baby safe.

Gently Rock them Side to Side

While your newborn was in your womb, they were suspended in amniotic fluid and constantly moving around. Whether you were walking around all day or turning in your sleep while you were pregnant, your baby was moving in your tummy with you. The gentle rocking from side to side can mimic that movement, which helps soothe baby to sleep and keeps them calm/comfortable.

Bounce on an Exercise Ball

I have to believe that the reason my little one fell asleep so fast with me bouncing on an exercise ball was the same reason rocking side to side helped. It’s got to be that movement that feels very similar to when they were in the womb. Regardless, bouncing on an exercise ball was another technique that lulled my baby fast asleep during those restless nights.

Gently Pat their Bum

My little one loved when her father and I rhythmically patted her bum to fall asleep. My husband used a consistent, non-stop pat to her bum to fall asleep. I, on the other hand, did more of a “pat, pat, pause” kind of rhythm, similar to that of a heartbeat. I assumed that with my daughter feeling my heartbeat in the womb 24/7, that she would find it soothing to have the same type of rhythm pat on her bum (and it worked!)

I think for this one, you can try different rhythms and find the one that your newborn finds most comforting. But it definitely helped soothe my baby and keep her calm when needed.

Sound Machine or Gently Shushing Sound

One big tip that I received from my cousin that’s already had two babies was to use a sound machine, specifically the white noise setting. For her, the white noise settled her babies and created a relaxing environment perfect for naptime and bedtime. If you don’t have a sound machine, you can also just search up white noise on YouTube and that should do just fine. (But beware the ads on YouTube that may disrupt the white noise if you don’t have premium. That can definitely upset your baby, trust me.)

A different variation of the white noise is the gentle shushing or “shhhh” sound. I actually found this technique from Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP. I came across his blog post on “The 5 S’s for Soothing Babies” one night when I couldn’t sleep. As a matter of fact, the techniques that he shares in his blog post are the same that I found worked for my little one from my own experience. If you are interested in learning more about the 5 S’s, I have linked it above for you to access.

Suckling on a Thumb, Pacifier, or Breast

After I delivered my daughter in the hospital, the nurses explained that I could insert a clean finger into my baby’s mouth and angle it toward the roof of her mouth to engage the sucking reflex. According to the nurses, this sucking reflex is one way to soothe my baby.

Early on, my husband and I decided we weren’t going to give our baby a pacifier and try to learn better soothing techniques to keep her calm. Well, that didn’t last long. Right around the 6 week mark, we were desperate for some help with soothing her and it was tedious work to wash our hands constantly before doing the finger technique to stimulate the sucking reflex. So, we decided to start her on a pacifier and she took to it very well.

It doesn’t have to be a pacifier. It can be your finger, their thumbs, or even your breast if you are breastfeeding. Babies love to suckle to soothe, so it may be worth a try if you are having difficulty soothing them to sleep on your own.

Position Baby on their Side/Stomach/Over Shoulder

This tip again, comes from Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP. He doesn’t go into detail as to why babies find this holding technique so soothing in his blog, but I gave it a try with my little one in the early weeks. She did very well with them and I found this tip to be successful.

For one, I think that your baby will likely find any safe position in your arms to be soothing because you are holding them. They know who mama is (as they should, since they were in your womb for 9 months.) But they may also find the sound and feel of your heartbeat familiar and comforting. In addition, the side or over shoulder position may give them more comfort because their faces are facing towards your body where there is more warmth. This information isn’t from evidence-based studies, but more of my beliefs and experience with my little one.

Takeaway

Well, there you have it. These are the tips I found most helpful for soothing my little one to sleep and to keep her comfortable as a first time mama. If you are struggling to keep your baby calm, soothe them to sleep, or experiencing colic, some of these tips may help you. In addition, I would also recommend talking with your pediatrician for extra support or if there may be other underlying issues that may be causing your little one to have trouble soothing.

If you found this information helpful, please leave a comment down below to let me know. Also, feel free to comment any other ways you were able to soothe your baby that I may have missed. Please share with expecting or first time mamas that will find this information helpful.

Thank you for all of the support!