This topic has been discussed many times by many different people that it is sometimes difficult to sort through all the information. We’ve put together this short article to provide you with the information you need.

Bathing a newborn can be fun for parents and enjoyable for the baby, too. But lots of babies scream their heads off the first couple of times. If bath time continues to be an ordeal, bathe only when absolutely necessary until your baby is a little older.

A baby bath doesn’t have to take hours or be very complicated, and there aren’t a whole number of things parents can do wrong, except drop the baby. Perhaps the worst thing would be to leave the baby unattended on a table, sink, counter or whatever: “Slippery when wet” must have been invented by someone who bathed babies.

The Tub Bath

After the umbilical cord (and circumcised penis) have healed, tub baths may be permitted (ask your doctor or nurse). Bathing in the big bathroom tub, however, is difficult with a small baby. It’s easier to be where mom or dad can bend over at waist height, rather than kneeling by the big tub. And it’s easier at first if you have two adults to bathe one slippery baby. Or bathe baby in the tub with one parent, then have the other parent ready to take the baby when the bath is over.

Consider buying a special baby tub (one with a slanted and padded back-rest is handy) or use a scrubbed and rinsed bathroom or kitchen sink pre-filled with two or three inches of water. For bathing in a sink, newborns might appreciate lying on a giant sponge, as long as the baby is in a little water. (Then your baby can recline without slipping, but parents must still hold on with one hand.) A large towel folded two or three times and put on the bottom of the clean sink will work.

A couple of points to note:

1. Soap or shampoo still isn’t necessary (and make a newborn even more slippery to handle) or should be used in very small amounts.

2. Swing the nozzle of the kitchen faucet out of the way so the baby won’t get bumped or dripped on.

3. Never run water directly out of the faucet into the baby’s tub or onto baby. Even if you have the temperature right, a sudden change (such as when someone else flushes the toilet or starts the dishwater) could be dangerous.

4. Don’t be disappointed if your baby cries as though this is some new torture to which to subject him or her. After all, baby has been warmly and securely bundled. Then the cold air hits the warm skin and baby is no longer swaddled and secure. It may take several baths before it becomes less scary. Or simply wait. There’s no need to give tub baths so soon – a sponge bath will do it.

5. Fill tub first (and place sponge in the bottom, if you’re using one); work quickly so water doesn’t cool off too much.

6. Eyes and face are cleaned as above (wash them before you put the baby into the tub to prevent eye contamination).

7. Undress your baby and calmly put her down in the tub or on the sponge feet first, leaning the baby back on your hand and arm, which support the neck. Wash with your free hand.

8. To wash the baby’s back, lean her forward onto the arm that just did the washing. Now wash the back with the arm that formerly supported the neck.

9. Remove your clean baby to a dry towel and dry thoroughly (inside the folds of legs, neck, etc). Then diaper and clothe.

What you are about to discover will benefit you greatly. This article was written to answer many of the most frequently asked questions on the topic of teething. I hope you find all of this information helpful.

For a baby who is reasonably well, the age of teething is just a matter of the pattern of development the baby was born with. In one family most of the children teethe early, in another delayed. You can’t determine your baby is extra clever for teething early, or usually backward for teething late.

The typical baby gets the first tooth around 7 months, but has been drooling, biting, and having periods of fretfulness from the age of 3 or 4 months. Because babies get twenty teeth in their first 2 1/2 years, it is simple to see that they are teething most of that entire time. This also explains why it’s so easy to blame every complaint on teething.

In the bygone days it was the custom to blame teething for colds, diarrheas, or fevers. These conditions are caused by germs and not by teething. However, in some babies it looks as though teething lowers resistance, making it easier for an infection to begin at that time. But if your baby becomes sick while teething, or has a fever as high as 101F, a physician is required to identify and heal the disease just as much as if the baby had gotten sick when not teething.

Generally the first two teeth are the lower central incisors.; (“Incisor” is the name given to the eight front teeth, which have sharp cutting edges.) After a few months come the four upper incisors. The standard baby has these six teeth, four above, and two below, when about a year old. After this there’s commonly a break of several months. Then six more teeth are apt to come in, without much pause in between the two remaining lower incisors, and all four first molars. The molars don’t come in next to the incisor teeth but farther back, leaving a space for the canine teeth.

After the first molar tooth, there is a pause of a few months before the canines (the pointed “dog teeth”) come through in the spaces between the incisors and the molars. The typical time is in the second half of the second year. The last four teeth in the baby set are the second molars. They come in right behind the first molars, generally in the first half of the third year.

The first four molar teeth, which in the average baby come through between a year and a year and a half, are more expected to cause babies trouble than the others. They may be cranky and lose their appetites for days at a time. They may wake up crying a few times each night.

Let the baby chew. Sometimes parents think it’s a duty to keep their baby from putting objects in her mouth and chewing. This notion will certainly make the parents and the baby frantic in time. Most babies must put items in their mouths, off and on, at least from 6 months to 15 months. The best that a parent can do is provide chewable things that are dull enough so that if the baby falls with them in the mouth they won’t do too much harm.

Rubber teething rings of assorted shapes are good, but any piece of rubber that the baby can hold easily will do. You have to be wary about toys made from thin brittle plastic. Babies sometimes break off and swallow small bits or choke on them. You also have to be watchful that the baby doesn’t chew the paint off furniture and other items if there is any danger that the paint is made with lead.

These days practically all babies’ furniture and painted toys are painted with lead-free paint. You have to think about items that have been repainted at home or that were never expected to be chewed by babies. Some babies favor a certain kind of cloth for chewing on. Or, you can tie an ice cube or a slice of apple in a square of cloth. Let them have what they appear to want as long as it’s not hazardous.

You don’t have to worry about the germs on a teething ring or a preferred piece of cloth. They are the baby’s own germs, anyway. Of course, it’s a good idea to clean the teething ring with soap after it has fallen on the floor or after the dog has gotten it. If the baby chews on a piece of cloth, you can boil it occasionally. Some babies like to have their gums steadily rubbed at times.

Seeing is believing, but sometimes we can’t all experience every subject in life. This article hopes to make up for that by providing you with a valuable resource of information on this topic.

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Newborns don’t need the kind of thorough cleaning that older children and adults do. Tub baths are not recommended until the umbilical cord has fallen off and healed.

Sponge baths two or three times a week are enough for one-month-olds. But clean face, hands and neck daily or a few times a day, such as after feedings, with a washcloth. Rinse the diaper region after every diaper change.

Bathing a baby right after she eats has the chance of spitting up or defecating (or both) during the bath. A calm time, when the baby’s not hungry or fussy, might be nicest. Sponge baths can be given anyplace it’s convenient – on a waterproof pad or towel in the crib, changing table, counter top. Generally it’s most convenient to be near a water point. It’s important to be in a warm room without drafts. If it’s winter and the heat has been turned down, consider warming the room where the bath will be given up to above 70 degrees.

Bathe only half the baby at a time, keeping the shirt or pants on while the other half is being washed and dried. For a sponge bath, get all of this together first:

1. Two containers of lukewarm water, one for washing, one for rinsing (test on your wrist or elbow).

2. Two washcloths, preferably baby-sized, one for washing, one for rinsing.

3. Clean clothes.

4. Clean diaper.

5. Towel or waterproof pad under baby.

6. Towel or two to dry off.

7. Hooded receiving blanket.

8. Sterile cotton balls and swabs.

9. Rubbing alcohol for cleaning the umbilical cord.

10. Petroleum jelly (or prescribed ointment and gauze/bandage) for circumcision care.

11. Non-irritating, non-drying soap or shampoo (optional).

12. Have all the items within reach. If you don’t, bring the baby with you when going to get them.

Unless your baby is hungry, cold, or uncomfortable, it is likely that your newborn baby will spend at least 60% of her time asleep.

Your baby may fall asleep immediately after and sometimes during a feeding. She will possibly be indifferent to noises such as doors closing or the radio. In fact, she may find certain noises calming. Babies’ sleeping patterns do fluctuate, though, so if your baby is restless after a feeding, don’t persist that she stay in her crib.

It is important that your baby learn to distinguish between day and night. When it becomes dark outside, close the curtains and dim the lights very low. Ensure she is cozy enough, and when she wakes during the night, feed her promptly and silently without turning the lights up; don’t play with her. In time, she’ll learn the difference between a day and a night feeding.

You will perhaps find it easiest to let your baby sleep in something that makes her portable. During the day, a car seat is necessary if you drive. If you don’t have a car, a portable bassinet is proper both day and night because it is easily movable; some types can be attached to a wheeled framework to become a carriage. When she outgrows a bassinet she will require a proper crib.

Sleeping With You

Some parents opt to have their baby sleep with them because night feedings are easier to manage. It shouldn’t be a tough habit to break after a couple of weeks. If you do sleep with your baby, let her lie between you and your partner so she won’t drop out of bed. There is little prospect of rolling on top of her, but if you’re worried you may choose not to have her in your bed.

Maintain Temperature

Pay cautious attention to the temperature of your baby’s room. Babies cannot regulate their body temperatures as well as adults; to preserve the right degree of warmth they need a constant temperature and enough blankets or sleeping clothes to keep them warm – but not too warm. A night light or dimmer switch will mean that you can check your baby during the night without waking her.

Sleeping Outdoors

Except when it’s cold your baby will sleep fairly happily outdoors, but make sure she’s wrapped up and visible at all times and never place her in direct sunlight; pick a shady area or guard her with a canopy. If it is breezy, put the hood up on the carriage or bassinet to act as a windbreak. A mesh net will shield her from insects.

Keep The Baby Comfortable

Your newborn will want to be changed regularly, and while she is sleeping she should wear something that gives you easy access to her diaper. An all-in-one stretch suit or nightdress – one with a drawstring at the end so it doesn’t ride up her back – is best. It is important that your baby does not get too hot or too cold. In warm weather a diaper and an undershirt will be sufficient.

In the winter, you can ensure that your baby is warm enough by feeling the back of her neck with your hand. Her skin should feel about the same temperature as yours. If she feels too hot and sweaty, dress her in a lighter sleeper or remove a blanket.

Stimulate Sleep

Encourage your baby to sleep at night by wearing her out in the day with lots of stimulation: talk to her, pick her up, and give her plenty of different stuff to look at. If she wakes up a lot in the night because she is wet, use twofold diapers or diaper liners, and if she cries when you leave her, don’t immediately return and pick her up. Rocking her cot, removing a blanket, or varying her position may be sufficient.

Early on swaddling or wrapping your baby in a shawl or blanket may help her sleep; the sensation of being tightly enclosed gives babies a great sense of security. It is also a helpful way of calming a distressed baby.

To envelop your baby, you need a shawl or small blanket. Fold the shawl in half to form a triangle and lay your baby on it, aligning her head with the longest edge. Then fold one point of the shawl across your baby and insert it firmly behind her back. Do the same with the other side. Tuck the bottom of the shawl back underneath your baby’s feet to keep them covered.

The close wrapping holds your baby’s arms in a comfortable position that feels secure and may also help her sleep longer. If her limbs move while she is sleeping, she is less likely to wake if swaddled. Not all babies like swaddling and if yours doesn’t, don’t worry. It is safe to swaddle your baby in cold weather, but keep a check on her temperature by touching her skin. Unwrap her right away if she feels or looks too hot.

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Bottle feeding is straightforward, but you will want to ensure that your baby can swallow well, and that he is not taking in air with the milk.

1. Never allow to leave your baby with the bottle propped up on a support or cushion; it can be unsafe. He could become very uncomfortable if he swallows a lot of air with the formula, and he could choke. Moreover, he will lose the cuddling and affection that he should have while he eats.

2. Incline your baby on your arm. It is very hard for a baby to swallow when he is lying level, so don’t feed him in this posture; he may gag or even vomit.

3. If your baby has a stuffed nose he can’t swallow and breathe at the same time. Your doctor can give you nose drops to be used before each feeding.

4. Don’t change your formula without first consulting your pediatrician, even if you think your baby does not like the one you’re using. It is very uncommon for a brand of formula to be responsible for a baby’s not feeding well; very seldom cows’ milk formula causes allergies in babies, but if it is, your doctor may advise you to use a soy-based formula

5. Your baby knows when he’s had enough, so don’t try to coerce him to complete the bottle after he has stopped sucking.

To guard your baby from bacteria, ensure all feeding equipment is scrupulously hygienic, and be alert with the storage and preparation of formula.

1. Follow all cleaning instructions sensibly.

2. Wash your hands before preparing or giving feedings.

3. Never add any extra powder; follow the instructions accurately.

4. Give the formula to your baby as soon as it has been warmed up.

5. When making batches, cool the formula as quickly as it is made up. Don’t stock warm milk in a thermos container; germs will easily breed there.

6. Keep all ready bottles refrigerated until they are required.

7. Keep any opened ready-to-use formula in a jar (not the can) in the refrigerator.

8. After a feeding, discard any leftover formula.

Burping

Burping releases any air that has been swallowed during feeding. It’s doubtful that gas causes your baby discomfort, and many babies are not noticeably happier or more satisfied for having been burped. Swallowing air is more frequent in bottle-fed babies, but you can avoid it to some extent by slanting the bottle more as your baby empties it so that the nipple is filled with milk and not air. Disposable bottles cut down on the air the baby swallows, because air cannot enter the bottle as the baby sucks the milk.

The good thing about burping, whether you breast or bottle-feed, is that it makes you pause, relax, slow down hold your baby gently, and stroke or pat him, and this is good for both of you.

As they say, knowledge equals power, so continue to read information on this topic until you feel you are adequately educated on the subject.

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Bottle-fed babies generally need to be fed less frequently than breastfed ones. This is because formula takes a longer time to digest and contains a little more protein, and thus delays hunger longer. A four-hourly schedule of six feedings a day seems to suit most bottle-fed babies after the first two or three days, while breastfed babies will possibly take seven feedings a day. A newborn baby will perhaps not take much over 2 fluid ounces (60 milliliters) at each feeding, but as he grows he will take fewer and larger feedings.

Never feed your baby according to the clock; let him decide when he is to be fed. He will let you know rather plainly with cries when he is hungry. Your baby’s appetite will differ, so if he seems contented, permit him to defer what he does not want. Don’t feel that your baby has to complete the bottle at each feeding. He will only get overfull and spit it up; or worse, become overfed and fat. On the other hand, if your baby is still hungry, give him some more from another bottle. If this happens often, start to make more formula for every bottle.

Night feedings: Your baby will require a feeding at least once during the night, and this break in your sleep on top of all the other things that you have to do to take care of him may make you very tired and tense. The question isn’t so much the number of hours of sleep that you forego, but more the way in which your sleep patterns are disturbed over long periods. For this logic it is important that you get adequate rest, day and night, and because you are doing most of the feeding, try to get your partner to take on some of the other jobs.

Reducing night feedings

At first your baby won’t be able to snooze for more than two to four hours at a time without waking with hunger. Once he reaches a weight of about 11 pounds (5 kilograms), try to stretch the time between feedings until you are receiving about six hours of undisturbed sleep at night. Though your baby will have his own schedule, it’s rational to try to time his last feeding to coincide with your own bedtime, which should be as delayed as feasible. You may find that your baby will still wake up and insist the early morning feeding, no matter how hard you try. If this happens you’ll just have to be tolerant and look forward to when he drops it.

Overfeeding

Chubby babies can be cute, but fat cells, once formed, can’t be removed, and a fat baby may grow into a fat adult, with all the attendant dangers to health. Unfortunately, it is easy to overfeed a bottle-fed baby. The reasons for this are dual; first, it is tempting to put extra formula into the bottle, but you should always respect the instructions exactly; otherwise, you’ll be giving the baby surplus calories. Second, in your concern to feed him “properly” you may want to see your baby complete every last drop of his bottle, but you should always let him choose when he’s finished. Introducing solids too early and giving sweet, syrupy drinks also result in overfeeding.

Underfeeding

This is rare in bottle-fed babies. Your baby should be fed on demand and not at set period; demands may differ from day to day. If your baby consistently seems fussy after he drains each bottle, he may well be hungry. Present him an extra 2 fluid ounces (60 milliliters) of formula. If he takes it, then he wants it. If your baby demands numerous feedings but doesn’t take much, the nipple hole may be too small, so that he is having difficulty sucking the formula and is exhausted before he gets enough.

Spitting up

If your baby tends to bring food right back up – some babies never do – you may question if he’s keeping enough down. Babies commonly spit up because of a standard gastroesophageal reflex, which is more pronounced in some babies than in others.

Overfeeding can also cause spitting up, which is another incentive to avoid insisting that your bottle-fed baby complete his bottle. Forceful or projectile vomiting, especially if it occurs after some meals, should be reported immediately to your doctor; vomiting is very dangerous in a small baby because it can quickly lead to dehydration.

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When to change a diaper may not appear like an issue necessary to be asked by any thinking person. However, smell or leaking may be veiled by super-absorbent diapers, and newborn’s poop generally doesn’t smell greatly. Letting wet diapers go unchanged until fully drenched increases the risk of diaper rash and discomfort, not to state leaks onto clothing and bedding. Letting soiled diapers go unchanged too long can mean a harshly irritated bottom that may need a doctor’s call.

Put your baby down and peep into the diaper leg openings sometimes. Diapers may require to be changed every time the baby eats (delay until afterward, unless your baby will not eat or cuddle until he or she is clean and dry), which can be every two hours, more or less, for newborns.

Typically 10-12 diaper changes a day is the most a newborn will require (if the baby is wetting less than eight or so a day, call the pediatrician, as dehydration may be a serious concern). Anywhere from eight to 20 diaper changes per day may be common for a newborn; with cloth diapers, which can’t hide as much liquid, it’ll be near the more-frequent end of that scale.

Diapers can, and will, require to be changed in many public spaces. At home, it’s easiest to have a changing area at waist height where everything is within reach for the parent. If you are buying a changing table, buy one with a barrier about five or six-inches high that goes all around the pad so the baby can’t roll off (they squiggle around more as they get older).

If you don’t have a changing table, or are concerned about the baby flipping off it, use the ground, covered with a waterproof changing pad. Don’t use the dining room or kitchen table unless you are ready to disinfect it after every change.

In public, not every restroom has a diaper changing “station.” But they should. Find a large, flat surface (or the floor) and cover it with your waterproof changing pad (which often comes with the diaper bag you bought). You can also buy waterproof pads, usually flannel-backed, separately. Or use clean diapers or receiving blankets in a pinch. You may desire to carry plastic bags into which dirty changing pads, diapers and diaper wraps can go until you get home.

Assemble everything you need within arm’s length before undoing the dirty diaper. For the first month, you’ll only need:

1. A clean diaper, pins and (optional) cloth diaper cover and, if the diaper leaked, change of clothes.

2. Lukewarm water and cotton balls (square or circular cotton pads may work better) or soft paper towels for washing.

3. A small dry towel or washcloth for drying.

4. Something on which to lay the baby, such as a changing cloth or clean diaper.

Place the baby face up on a changing table or clean surface, or on a diaper changing pad on the ground. Strap the baby in on the changing table or keep one hand on the baby at all times (although they can’t yet turn over, their bouncy motions can be enough to hoist themselves off anything you’ve placed them on).

With your free hand, detach the pins or tabs of the soiled diaper. Grasp the baby’s feet in one hand and lift the baby’s bottom off the dirty diaper. If there’s stool there, use wet cotton balls or pads to clean it off. If you’re using disposables, drop the dirt/pads onto the open diaper; with cloth diapers, drop the dirty pads on a tissue.

After the baby is cleansed, fold the dirty diaper and remove it immediately, or baby’s feet may kick into it. If the diaper is only wet, you may want to fold the front part of the wet diaper under the baby’s bottom (so the outside is under his/her bottom). Let go of the baby’s feet and clean the baby with a wet cotton ball or pad.

Whichever way, after cleaning, dry the baby off with cotton balls or pads or fragrance-free, white toilet tissue. Make certain to get in the skin folds between legs and torso. (You can air-dry if you want to take the risk of being wet or pooped on.)

Raise baby by the feet again and slide the new, clean diaper under his or her bottom. Attach the new diaper. Dirty disposable diapers should be folded so all fecal substance and urine is enclosed inside. Place them in a lined garbage pail (emptied frequently; it can go a day or two if you have a deodorant cake in the container).

Home-laundered cloth diapers should be rinsed out in the toilet if there is a stool. While directions say to “shake off any stool into the toilet,” you’ll quickly find that newborn stool isn’t shake-off-able (and possibly won’t be until he or she eats solids, at four months or later).

Instead, keep a pair of rubber gloves close just for this use, or buy a unique pair of diaper tongs available in baby supply catalogs. Give the diaper a good dunking in the toilet, or even immerse it there. Then grasp onto the diaper and flush the toilet so the diaper is rinsed in the clear water filling up the tank. If the diaper is only wet, wash it in either the toilet or sink, and wring it out.

Then place the diaper in an enclosed soaking pail. Make sure the diaper container is tightly covered as children can drown in only a little water. Most diaper services no longer require that their cloth diapers be rinsed. Instead, they offer a lined pail in which to place dirty diapers until pick-up. Cleanse your hands! Baby poop doesn’t come off just by rinsing – you must use soap and scrub.

When we learn, we continue on a path of growth. Therefore, learning about this subject has already helped you more than you know.

Here it is: everything you ever wanted to know about letting your baby use a pacifier. We’ve made it simple and quick to digest but also a compelling and interesting read.

Whether babies should be calmed by a synthetically manufactured “object” instead of comfort themselves or have a caregiver look after their needs, is a matter of debate. Parents should find out what’s bothering the baby before just stuffing in the pacifier.

In some instances it’s the parents, not the baby, who become addicted to the pacifier as it’s easier to “have peaceful time” rather than find out what’s could be the problem. Sometimes, however, a pacifier that quiets a crying baby is a godsend. While many babies can and will suck on their hand or thumbs to comfort themselves, it may take many weeks before they can get their hand to their mouths.

Sucking is a natural instinct for babies (and it may last less than a year). The sucking urge ensures a baby will eat. Many babies get enough satisfaction at the breast or milk bottle. For these babies, use of a pacifier may provide so much satisfaction that they would rather not nurse. Others need to suck more and will suck on their hands, parents’ fingers, pacifiers or anything that they’re able to pop in their mouths. Sometimes, only a pacifier seems to calm an otherwise attended-to baby.

Pacifier Tips

1. If you opt for a pacifier, then buy ones labeled “orthodontic” as they have a unique shape best for tongue or palate development. However, if your baby doesn’t like these, don’t fret. Some kids just don’t like pacifiers, or won’t till they are older. And your baby won’t be malformed because he or she uses a traditional-shaped pacifier. You may be able to find special “new-born size” pacifiers, as well.

2. Buy silicone, instead of latex/rubber, as they last longer and are less likely to break off and choke the baby. Also, they can be washed in the dishwasher.

3. Buy ones with air holes around the guard or shield around the nipple, so air can circulate and skin won’t get irritated by saliva. The guard should be too big to fit in the baby ‘s mouth and should have ventilation holes so the baby could breathe if it did get in there somehow.

4. Cleanse a new pacifier before use, and check it by pulling on it to ensure no parts tear away.

5. Never use a homemade pacifier: it’s just not safe.

6. Never secure the pacifier around the baby’s neck or to a cord to prevent strangulation.

7. Do not dip the pacifier in honey (it may cause botulism) or other substances such as alcohol, corn syrup or milk (which could lead to tooth decay or gum disease).

8. To let the baby use it, “tease” their cheek or lip with the pacifier’s nipple, as you would to get the baby to take the breast or milk bottle. It may need to be rubbed on the roof of baby’s mouth or held in the baby’s mouth for a few seconds before the baby catches on and sucks readily. Some kids just don’t like pacifiers.

As they say, knowledge equals power, so continue to read information on this topic until you feel you are adequately educated on the subject.

If knowledge is power, then after you have finished this article, you will be feel like Mighty Man when this subject is brought up in casual conversation.

There are six techniques that have been proven effective to sooth a baby’s mood, as follows:

1) Swaddling

Wrap the baby tightly in a blanket, with or without hands free for sucking (sucking its hand may calm the baby in itself). Sometimes the compact feeling is comforting, rather like the womb. The sensation of flailing arms and legs may be like being lost in space.

To swaddle, put the baby’s head on one corner of the blanket. Wrap one corner over the baby and insert it under the baby’s opposite side. Take the end up and tuck it under the baby’s “open” side. Wrap the remaining corner of the blanket over the baby and tuck it into a fold anywhere. (You might ask the nurses to instruct you this before you depart the hospital.)

2) Music

A tape of comforting lullabies or unique soothing womb-like sounds and heartbeats can be purchased in baby departments, baby specialty stores, some toy stores and baby catalogs. Your own singing is cheaper and may work just as well. Don’t overlook trying the radio.

3) Noise

This might not appear all that different from “music,” depending on your singing voice. But “noise” means what’s sometimes called “white noise,” that steady drone of something that might annoy adults, but magically lulls babies to sleep.

Switch the vacuum cleaner on near the baby (or put the baby in a front-pack carrier while you vacuum). The vibration and consistent noise comforts many babies. The hum of the exhaust fan over the kitchen stove regularly works. A noisy room fan or air conditioner could have the same result.

Combine noise with other techniques, such as swaddling. Or turn on a noisy fan while rocking a swaddled baby. A car ride might help, and you don’t need to take the muffler off. Just the vibration and hum is sometimes sufficient.

4) Massage

Whole books, videos and classes are offered on this subject, and many parents find babies react to gentle massage of arms, legs, chest, back and head. Even without formal guidance, try rubbing backs or stomachs, which may alleviate gas pains, while holding the baby or while baby (or you and the baby together) are in the bathtub (remember that babies whose umbilical cords haven’t fallen off yet shouldn’t take tub baths).

5) Motion

How were fussy children raised just a generation ago, when those wind-up swings weren’t yet invented? Lots of car rides, apparently. Swings can be used by babies younger than a month old, either in a cradle or a seat. Especially for the cradle, be sure the baby is not rolling back and forth with every swing. For the seat, verify to see the head is held upright and cradled by a rolled towel or special support pillow. And use the safety belt.

Be informed that babies who like quiet, soft lights and lullabies may not like motion as a calming technique. For others, only bouncing and rhythm is effective.

6) Warmth

Try feeding a bottle of warm water, placing the baby tummy-down on a hot water bottle filled with warm water and covered with a towel or baby blanket, or giving the baby a warm bath, if baby is old enough for a tub bath. (Never use an electric heating pad.) Of course, if it’s 90 degrees and humid, opt for a cool sponge bath instead.

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