Some babies are calm naturally, while others can be huge screamers and take time to calm down. There is nothing bad about it – we are all different, and that’s okay. However, you will need to spend some time and effort to find an approach to anxious babies. This quick guide will share 5 important tips on how to calm an anxious infant and make sure that nothing brings discomfort into their lives.
Here are the best ways to calm your baby
None of us want our kids to suffer and feel anxious, but it is not always up to us. There will be times when your child will be crying out loud, and nothing will be helping. To soothe your baby and decrease anxiety levels, try out these tips:
1. Take one step at a time.
This tip goes not only for fighting anxiety but also dealing with probably almost every other problem you have when raising a kid. Don’t try to solve a problem right away. Instead, try to find a long-term solution that might require a more difficult approach, but will eventually turn out into a safe way to beat anxiety. Instead of avoiding the cause of anxiety, approach it. It’s always better to look fear in the eyes, right? However, trying to do everything at once might only deepen the anxiety.
2. Be near your baby during bedtime.
It is scientifically proven that babies feel less stressed out when their parents are around them when babies fall asleep. Even if your baby is used to sleeping on their own, their anxiety could still be caused by the fact that you are not around them during bedtime. Babies who spend more time with their parents experience lower cortisol levels, and as you know, higher cortisol levels cause stress and anxiety.
3. Find out if food sensitivity is the reason for anxiety.
It’s possible that certain foods in the baby’s diet have to be removed or swapped. If you’re breastfeeding, there might be something wrong with what you eat. For example, if you love coffee and drink it often, it might be the reason why your baby is anxious sometimes. If your little one is formula-fed, there might be something wrong with the formula and you should contact the doctor to see what can be done to avoid anxiety and what type of formula you should go for.
4. Calm with actions and not words.
Kids don’t understand when you tell them “Calm down”. But what they will definitely understand is how you treat them when they are anxious. Hold your baby, take a walk, and carry them around. Such a simple activity can be very soothing and relaxing. Of course, the listed actions don’t always work, so you’ll have to find out on your own which one is best for your child.
5. Calm yourself first.
Your anxiety is contagious. If you’re nervous, your child will feel it, so before you take any steps toward calming your baby, calm yourself first. Take some time to relax and understand how you feel and why. Listen to some music or turn on some relaxing sounds of nature. Anything that works is fine, as long as you’ll be able to calm down.
It takes time and practice
It’s okay if you can’t calm your infant after the first try. Success will take time, and there is nothing wrong with you – don’t beat yourself up. One of the best things you can do in this situation is to conduct research that will allow you to learn more about the experiences of other parents and how they dealt with the same problem.
What you should also consider is that anxiety can also be caused by health problems or food. Such factors, as changing baby formula side effects, stress, colds, and many other things might be the reason for anxiety. Talk to your doctor if your baby cries a lot without stopping and shows other signs of distress. Getting medical advice is often a good idea since you might get some tips on how to deal with the crying baby that you haven’t thought about before. Good luck to you!
