5 handy tips to help you settle a baby
I have lost count of the number of times i have been asked if I will do baby-sitting or if I can be called upon at 4 in the morning if the little one won't settle. I thought I would put together some handy tips which might help all you new mummies and daddies get through those first few months with a newborn.. hope it helps....
1) Swaddling – It surprises me how many parents haven’t heard about swaddling and don’t know how to do it. When you swaddle a baby it mimics the close feeling of being in the womb which making them feel all cosy and safe. Since their arms aren’t flapping about they tend to not startle and therefore settle and drift into sleep much easier than being free! If you are unsure how to swaddle your baby then click HERE for a great video tutorial to show you how to swaddle.
2 - White noise – would you believe the womb is a really noisy place to be! With the sound of mummy's blood flow and everything going on outside of her body then it’s really not much of a surprise that babies will be more likely to settle in a slightly noisier environment. When our babies come home we think they want peace and quiet and quickly turn down the tv, tell people to shhh and put in a quiet room. The truth is babies hate silence, and the use of white noise or a shhh sound will help them settle. I have also heard good things about Ewan the Dream Sheep but alternatively if you need help NOW then just switch on the hoover or a hairdryer.
3 - Face stroking – I find a variety of face stroking techniques really help soothe an unsettled baby. Between running a finger over their forehead, stoking their cheek or nose really helps settle a baby. Stroke a finger down the middle of your own nose, you find your eyes naturally start to close so imagine someone doing this to you repeatedly while wrapped up all cosy, wont be long until you feel asleep.
4- Bum patting – I always find that a gentle pat on a babies bum will help settle them and drift them off to sleep. Gentle patting reminds them of the rhythmic motion inside the womb as well as the sound of their mother's heartbeat while they are in the womb.
5 - Removing all stimulants – sometimes your baby can just become very overstimulated…noise, bum patting, bouncing, shushing etc alll wont work and you cant settle them down. The best thing to do in this situation is to swaddle your baby up, lay them down in a darkened room and leave them for a few mins and see if they will settle themselves. We sometimes just get caught up in the fact that we should be comforting our babies and sometimes they just need space to calm themselves.
I have had the job of photographing 1000's of babies in the studio so I have picked up lots of hints and tips and I hope these all help a bit! I would love to hear your tips and tricks if you use anything different to settle your little ones! Just leave a comment at the bottom of the post!
Love and Hugs
Nicole xxx
I have also been catching up with my friend Kirsty this week who is a lovely newborn photographer in fife, she was telling me all about the Butterfly Network. They are a national network of photographers providing families with children that suffer from a life threatening illness, a beautiful family session and images... Click on the link above for more details...