Fathers don't always get credit for all the nurturing
they do. But if you check in with most dads,
you'll find that they have a few special tricks and tips of their own for
soothing crying babies.
Wear your baby.
Slings and
front packs enable you to give your baby the closeness she needs without always
having your arms full. Babies are also usually content in these carriers
(particularly helpful with fussy babies), which helps promote bonding. Place
your baby in a front carrier or sling. Between the warmth of your body, the
rhythmic beating of your heart, the somniferous rise and fall of your
breathing, and the gentle swaying motion as you walk, at least one of you
should be asleep in minutes.
Sing her a song and dance
Singing is one of the best ways to get a baby to respond and pay close attention to you. And it doesn’t matter what you sing or how good your voice is. Hold your baby up to your shoulder and wrap his little arms around your neck. Then, dance gently—rocking slowly back and forth – with a spin or two thrown in for good measure. Tap the floor with your foot and try chanting—hey, it works. It doesn't really matter what you chant, as long as it's repetitive and matches the beat of your dance. Gradually lower your voice as your baby begins to quiet. And he will.
Go it alone.
It’s hard for a father to work out
his own style while mom is looking over his shoulder. It can help if fathers
are sometimes left to their own devices with no one to bail them out. Short
solo stints (as little as 20 to 30 minutes) with a freshly fed baby are best in
the beginning. Early morning is a good time to try this, since many babies are
in a good mood at this time of the day, and mom usually needs the sleep anyway.
Develop a thick skin.
Your partner
will correct you at times. Other times it may seem like she wants everything to
be done her way. This is normal. It’s just her way of trying to bring order to
a situation that often feels out of control (plus she might actually be right
sometimes). This should ease up as her self-confidence and her confidence in
your parenting skills increase.
Feel your baby's pain
Putting on your baby's favorite reggae CD will not satisfy her hunger, nor will a teething baby stop crying when you change her diaper. In other words: "First, find the source of the pain," says David Templeton, father of two in Branford, Connecticut. Yes, this seems almost too logical, but when the crying train sets to rollin', logic is usually left at the station. So here a test to see if the baby is hungryTry the pinky
If you're not sure what's causing the problem, whip out your littlest finger and offer it to your baby to suck on. "It's a classic," says Greg Lanigan, father of two in Coppell, Texas. The key is to insert your pinky upside down, so that you don't scratch the roof of your baby's mouth with your fingernail.the baby should start suckling thenGet a drink
For the baby, we mean. Try offering a warm bottle of formula or breast milk.
Learning how to calm your sobbing child can take experimentation. The strategies below may not work for you, but they're worth a shot. Keep an open mind If nothing you do seems to stop your baby from crying, he may have . Colic is most common in infants between the ages of 3 weeks and 3 months
