Calming your overstimulated baby

• Sway your baby from side to side in your arms, or put her in a baby swing – babies are often comforted by movement.

• If your baby has been in a crowded environment, remove her from the setting and find a quiet, dimly-lit room so that her nervous system can have a chance to calm down.

• Position your baby so that she has only a few things to look at in the room (even a blank white wall will do the trick), and gently rock her to soothe her.

• Make rhythmic sounds while rocking her. A gentle shhhing noise is usually very effective, as it sounds similar to the noise she heard while she was in the womb.

• If your little one likes water, give her a warm bath to calm her down.

• Swaddle your baby in a warm blanket, but if she doesn’t like to be swaddled, place her in a sling, so that she can be close to you.

• Give your baby a massage; this will relax her and it may help her to fall asleep.

• If your baby is soothed by soft lullabies, sing to her.

• Soft noise can also go a long way to soothing an overstimulated baby. Put the vacuum cleaner on in the background or the washing machine to get your baby to calm down.

• If all else fails, take your baby for a ride in her car seat. You’ll be surprised how quickly she’ll calm down and fall asleep.

Resources:
www.livestrong.com
www.americanpregnancy.org
www.babyprimer.org
What to Expect the First Year, by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E Murkoff & Sandee E Hathaway



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