I love reading posts from moms about ‘the real deal’ with having a baby. I hate to be annoying, but we’ve been pretty darn lucky and blessed with a good baby. However, that doesn’t mean Hailey doesn’t get fussy for reasons I can’t understand sometimes, especially in the evenings… I’m sure it has nothing to do with mom forcing a bow on her head.
Luckily, I’ve discovered some invaluable weapons to add to my arsenal that help conquer the crazy times. Some you may find in the baby books, and others you won’t, but they’ve been newborn tested and approved, which make them far more worthy in my opinion.
1. The Hairdryer. We discovered this gem in the hospital on the second night. I always knew white noise was supposedly comforting to babies, so when we couldn’t settle Hailey down, I whipped it out and plugged it in. As soon as we turned it on, it was like a switch flipped. She quieted down immediately. That night we slept with the hair dryer on all night long… it worked! Now we use it at bed time. It’s on for about 10 minutes when we first put her down and it helps zonk her out. Then we turn it off and switch to the sleep sheep ocean noise.
2. The Birthing Ball. Also known as an exercise ball. Though it failed me miserably in helping me go into labor, it’s been incredibly helpful the past few weeks, and now acts as another chair in our living room. Sometimes Hailey doesn’t like being still, rocking or walking, but she never says no to bouncing. I’m not sure if it’s all the time I spent bouncing on it when she was in the womb, but she loves it. If we can’t calm her down, we simply hold her and sit on the ball and bounce. Instantly, she quiets down and her eyes get big as she looks around completely content. The only down side to the ball? Eventually it makes my ache, but I’ve suffered through it because of how much she loves it!
3. The Swaddle. I always winced a little when I saw babies turned into tiny burritos. How can it possibly be comfortable to be restrained like that? Well, now I know why people do it- it works! And babies love it. As they explain in The Happiest Baby on the Block (a book that has turned out to be very helpful for us!), the swaddle alone may not always do the trick, but it is the perfect position to get your baby in in order to calm her down. Babies aren’t able to control their limbs when they are real little, so they flail around like crazy sometimes, which can wake them up. When Hailey is going to bed, we double swaddle her nice and tight to make sure she can’t Houdini her way out of it. It works wonders because she sleeps like a champ and wakes up usually one time each night- either around 2am or 4am. Hubbs is the super swaddler. In the hospital the nurses all commented on how Hubbs’ swaddle was the best they’ve ever seen… I’m so proud 
PS- I’ve heard a lot of people say that their baby fights the swaddle and doesn’t like it. Now, I’m no expert, but yes, the baby will fight the swaddle at first, but once they are tightly wrapped up and being rocked, I’ve found that it really does work wonders in keeping them calm.
4. The Pacifier. I have mixed emotions on this one. I had it in my head that I should NOT use a pacifier. I heard they can mess with breastfeeding, cause dental problems, hinder speech development and be a nasty habit to try and break. However, my sweet little angel loves to suck. When she can find her fingers, she loves it, but she lacks the coordination to always find and keep her fingers in her mouth. So one night, at about 3.5 weeks old, I broke down and offered my crying child a pacifier. She loved it. I felt guilty.
I polled moms and asked friends their opinions on pacifiers and found that overwhelming, people liked them. Sucking teaches babies to self soothe and I also heard that many babies weaned themselves off of them as soon as they didn’t need them anymore, sometimes by 3-6 months. Also, I heard stories about how breaking a pacifier habit is easier than trying to take away your child’s thumb. That makes sense 
So now I use a pacifier, although still with some hesitancy. I follow my own made up rules of not forcing it on her, only offering it when all else has failed and removing it once she calms down and spits it out. I also don’t give it to her at night because she doesn’t need it then, so I save it for when we are out in public and I need a sure-fire method to calm her down.
Oh, and she is still great with eating, so it’s nice to know it didn’t interfere with breastfeeding.
5. Interaction. Before having a baby, I heard about people that raised ‘box babies’, meaning they always put the babies in places, rather than holding them. They would put the baby in a swing, then a boppy, then in the crib, etc. Well, even though Hailey does take a nap in her boppy occasionally, I’ve found that sometimes when she gets upset she just wants to be held, entertained or change positions. If she’s been on her back and becomes fussy, sometimes just putting her on my chest for come tummy time will calm her right down.
Other times, she just wants me to sit in front of her and make goofy faces and noises (I’m convinced she likes this and I’m looking ridiculous for a good reason ). Usually I’m rewarded with big smiles, which feels like getting a gold star in the parenting world.
*BONUS*
Bathtime. The child just loves it!
These are methods that have seriously worked like a charm for us. Of course, check first if the baby needs a new diaper, is hungry, hot or uncomfortable, but if all the basics are covered, these take care of fusses every time!
What is one method you use that is guaranteed to calm down a crying baby?
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
She is so precious. I think swaddled babies are the cutest thing!
Ha, I always resort to bouncing on the birthing/exercise ball if I’m holding a newborn that is inexplicably fussy. Seems to work like a charm! But on the other hand, my husband can just hold a baby, and they instantly quiet (he is magic). We don’t have kids yet, but these are good tips!!
Your daughter is so beautiful! I love all the pictures you’ve shared. All of her little expressions are so cute.
I’m favoriting so many of your posts lately! This is such helpful info that I’m sure I’ll be using in a few months. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us!
Can’t wait to meet little Hailey tonight!
I can’t wait to introduce you to her! We’ll be there.. pacifier in tow at 6
If all else failed, a car ride was soothing to my babies. My daughter would get fussy about the same time everyday, and we discovered the funniest thing that soothed her. She liked to look at the shadow that the valance made on the wall. So strange, but we could tell she liked to look at that shadow. For my son, whispering sh sh sh soothed him. Musy be similar to the white noise machines. I’m feeling nostalgic. My ‘babies’ are 8 and 6 now.
I hear time flies- I already feel like Hailey is so much bigger! I’m savoring every moment I can
I’ve had it in my mind too for who knows what reason that I wasn’t going to use pacifiers either, unless I had to, but then I read it actually helps decrease SIDS risk at night! So many things to think about.
Brittany, I had to let you know I tried “Ew-vernight” oats this morning and I might have an idea for you if you ever want to try them again! I used 1/3 C. oats, 1/3 C. milk (had plain soy in the fridge), and about 3 T. of canned pumpkin. I sprinkled a little pumpkin pie spice blend on top and mixed everything up. I just used a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This morning, I took them out, stirred them up then added a drizzle of maple syrup and a small handful of walnuts. I let it sit out while I got ready for work. The consistency was just like regular oatmeal, but the cool pumpkin-y flavor was kind of like pumpkin pie!! Anyway, just thought I’d share
PS – I love this post. Hailey is so sweet.
ok, since you mentioned pumpkin pie, I’m willing to give these another shot. Thank you for sharing! Fingers crossed…
my kids love baths too
and their pacifiers! They both go for their thumbs a lot. I had a HUGE thumb sucking obsession when I was younger…,like don’t look at my 2nd grade school picture kind of obsession haha…the pacifier you can take away eventually, the thumb is always there. And braces are expensive! 
my twins love to be rocked, I swear they’d be happy if I just held them and rocked them all day long. Luckily if I do it for a little bit, they calm down enough that I can put them down and they’ll be ok…atleast for a little while haha
That bow is so cute! It’s the size of her whole head!
She is absolutely beautiful, Brittany! As you know, I have a furry baby (definitely not the same) BUT the hairdryer puts Salvador to sleep too!
Great tips! She’s such a doll!! And pacifiers also help prevent SIDS. it’s been studied! So no guilt for you mama!
The exercise ball did wonders! Miles and I would just bounce on it until he quieted down. (We tried to hold out on the pacifier but gave in at 5 weeks – don’t feel bad!)
Oddly, just going outside and walking up and down the driveway helped. There were many a day in that first month when I put him in the sling and walked the block.
Yes! She loves going outside, too. Loves the fresh air and the natural light I think
PS- I tried to hold out until 4 weeks- didn’t happen. Good for you!
So I was a thumb sucker and I had lots of dental problems from my thumb pushing out my front teeth, causing an over bite. I went through retainers, expanders and braces … So I’m pro paci ..like you said at least it can be taken away
CK is in this 4 month funk right now I may have to revert back to a couple of these… Nothing seems to soothe or put him to sleep except nursing ..ugh
Love the hairdryer! We used to calm my nephew down with a water machine thingamabob.
She is so adorable and I love reading all your tips! Eventually, when I have a baby, I’ll have to come back here and reread all your info.
Kind of embarrassing but I didn’t stop using a pacifier until I was 6 years old and it caused me to have a major gap between my front teeth — yikes!
I retract that last statement about the pacifier. I just asked my mom and she said it didn’t cause the gap, it caused a cross bite but she said she would do it again bc it calmed me so well.
Great tips! We also loved many of these things. The pacifier never took, though – she’d spit it right out, we tried at least 6 different kinds.
Around 2-3 months we started wearing her when she was fussy and that helped a ton – we had a fleece pouch, also the moby/sleepy wraps, which are awesome. If she was being fussy we’d pop her in the wrap and go for a walk. I’ve lent them out to friends who have also found them a lifesaver.
Our last resort was the vacuum cleaner! Instant silence.
When we went to pre registration at the hospital the nurse doing our paper work said that after the baby has latched correctly a few times, they often don’t have a problem with nipple confusion. We ended up using a pacifier in the hospital after my son tried to eat for 2 hours straight and tried out a bottle the night we came home from the hospital. He never had any problems at all.
We are lucky and our daughter is an incredibly easy baby (don’t know what we did to deserve her!) but she still have fussy moments and a lot of these methods have worked for us too. Especially the swaddle!
Oh one more thing – if she was fussing on a drive, we’d put on the white noise between radio stations for her just on the back speakers!
We also use low volume nature ocean sounds/gentle music for her bedroom at naps and night (one thing we still do even thought she’s 2)
I loved this post not because I have my own kids (yet), but only for all the super cute pictures
Seconded!
Love these! Definitely keeping them in mind – and hopefully picking up Happiest Baby on the Block! I’ve heard good + bad things about using a pacifier. I’ve heard that you should at least wait until breastfeeding is established before giving them one, which is what I intend to do. Sounds like you waited plenty long and I think what you’re using it just how you should!
This is all great to know! I share the same hesitations about pacifiers but still plan on using them, apparently babies have a sucking reflex and need to suck 16hrs a day? That seems excessive to me but who knows. I think I need to start bouncing on a ball seeing as how I’m so close!
I suggest you get an actual sound machine:-) They are invaluable. It helps drown out household noise and acts as a sleep trigger when traveling. My daughter still uses hers at 3.
What is the brand/name of the sound machine? thanks!
I will have to check–she’s sleeping right now!
I’ll try to remember tomorrow.
She is just so sweet and precious that it gives me chills. And, box babies? I’ve never heard that term but it sounds completely inhumane. No offense to any of your readers that used it as a method of raising their kids. I just cannot imagine.
Hailey is so adorable.
and the exercise ball really does work!! Babies love it!
By the way, I saw the comment you left on Julie’s post about hummus.. I literally LOL’d when I saw it … hahah sabra hummus really is crack! lol so yummy!
When my sister was a baby (I was a teenager and kept her), things that soothed her were: looking into the mirror (she loved it!), riding in the car, riding in the stroller, and laying her across my lap on her belly and bouncing my legs a little (this works better on a baby who’s a bigger than tiny newborn stage). If it wasn’t one of the usual suspects (hungry, gas, diaper change), then one of those would usually get her to calm down.
Holy moly you have a beautiful baby! That’s great that you found methods that work for her when you’re trying to calm her down. It’s all about finding what works for you (and the baby). You seem like such a great mom
Hi there,
Your daughter is sooooo precious! My hubby and I are pregnant with our first and are starting to think REGISTRY. What is the name of the rocker/cradle you have pictured under your hairdryer tip? It looks pretty neat! Glad you and your family are doing well! Thanks for all of the tips!
Love the tips and it’s great to hear all the things that you’re figuring out works for you and your baby-she’s so adorable!
What a great post, thank you so much for sharing this! I don’t have a baby (yet!), but these tips are so very helpful, especially the blow dryer one – who would’ve thunk?! And that photo with Hailey on daddy’s chest just melts my heart and brought tears to my eyes…she’s absolutely precious and the cutest baby girl ever!
Yes yes yes to the pacifier! Makenzie wouldn’t use one and sucked her fingers instead. She turns 3 in a week and we’re not even close to being able to stop it completely.
I use to put you in your carrier and sit you on the dryer (which was running). Got two things done at once–you quieted down and the laundry got done too.
There is so much ways to calm a baby but just some of new work on each child. It depends on what the child likes or dislikes. This is what makes us so different from each other
We had an extremely difficult time with our first born. All that got him to go to sleep, was a car ride. Yes. Each night hubby needed to go for a drive in the car while my first born lay on my chest. We would drive for 5 minutes and he would get so calm, that he would fall asleep. We had about 3-4 evenings a week we had to do this for about 6 months of his first year of life. Was hectic.
I, too, like the “let’s be real” posts. Thank you so much for sharing what works for you! I’ll be sure to try some (or all) of your ideas:-).
So great to see you and Hailey last night! Thanks for letting me hold her for a while, she’s a little angel
I love all your tips and hopefully I’ll get to actually use them someday!
Hailey is sooooooooooooooooooo cute, seriously!!
And in the last pic I really thought she looked like you!
I am not a mum yet, but I have plenty of babysitting and aupair experience, and the bouncy ball and haidryer have always worked wonders;)
Don´t feel guilty for giving her a pacifier, if it helps and you don´t offer it all the time, it´s fine! One of my girlfriends decided to not use a pcifier, but her baby would not calm down at all, so she used it, anyways, and it helped them both so much. After about 2 month, the baby didn´t want to take it anymore, so they were all good
Awwwwww!!!! Seriously, SO dang cute!!!! She looks like the best snuggle buddy ever
Omg.. Why had I not thought of the double swaddle idea??? Totally trying this tomorrow night… Maybe I’ll get more than an hour out of her at night.. Lol
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