Describe the most effective method you found for settling your baby
- Taking baby for a walk in the sling always calmed him down, although often when I stopped it would start again. Mother of Finlay 8 months.
- My baby never really cried a lot as we did SOS (Save our sleep, Tizzie Hall) routines from birth so she always new when food or sleep was coming so she had no need to get stressed. Mother of Saskia 10months.
- Up to 1 years old … roll them away from you and gently pat their bottom in their bed. Mother of Hannah 20 months.
- 1st baby – only thing that really settled was breastfeeding. 2nd baby – dummy until 6 weeks, then patting and later, singing lullabies. Mother of Amy 6, Sophie 3.
- Breastfeeding him. Mother of Jason 22 months.
- Breastfeeding usually helped to calm him down; if that didn’t work I used to sing to him and slow dance in his dark room until he’d fall asleep. Mother of Ryan 20 months
- Checking if they wanted a feed, checking to see if they wanted burping, Check nappy… sing, rock, pat. Mother of Poppy 3, Harry 21 months
- Using sleep cues including wrapping baby for first 4 months then using a sleeping bag for all sleeps thereafter. For the first 3 months, using Sounds of silence CD was also helpful. For first 3 months, patting gently on tummy also worked some of the time. Mother of Thomas 14 months.
- Rocking in bassinet up until he was 4 months. If a really bad night – falling asleep on dad’s tummy, probably from about 10 months Wearing less clothes but with swaddling – liked to feel secure but not too hot (4 months +). Mother of Chase 20 months.
- 6-8 weeks wrap her up, swaddle, rock her in a rocking chair or bounce on a fitness ball. I still have the fitness ball in her room. Best way to settle my baby, plus helping my fitness. Mother of Mia 2 months.
- 0-5 months wrapping, also a breastfeed 0-6 walking in the pram, motion 6-current, music, keeping the room dark and putting him in a sleeping bag. Mother of Lukas 10 months.
- Picking baby up, cuddles, walk around with baby in sling- birth to around 8 months. Mother of Isabelle 3, Blake 20 months.
What worked when you could not get baby to sleep and you had tried ‘everything’?
- Always start by checking if nappy is clean, sometimes the simplest things are the least obvious. Father of Chloe 5 months.
- Swinging in the baby swing was great, we put the music on and the gentle rocking seemed to cam her right down. Mother of Talia 8 months.
- Breast feed him, if that didnt work try bouncing on our fitball. This generally settled him enough to try feeding again. Mother of Will 10months.
- Daddy or mummy sleeping on the lounge with Chase – that way at least you got some sleep. Mother of Chase 20 months
- 6-8 weeks wrap her up, swaddle, rock her in a rocking chair or bounce on a fitness ball. I still have the fitness ball in her room. Best way to settle my baby, plus helping my fitness. If you are getting too stressed, pass her onto a family member to try to settle. If not leave her in her cot and walk away for a few moments to try and relax a bit. The most tense you are the worst the situation will get. Mother of Mia 2 months.
- 0-6 months a breastfeed would always do the trick. 7 months plus – picking him up and walking around the house or room, although I found this hard to then put him down again until he has really settled. Mother of Lukas 10 months.
- Breastfeeding- birth to 12 months. Mother of Isabelle 3, Blake 20 months.
- Heat bag between yours & babies stomach-from newborn mylanta may provide some relief for a reflux baby in severe pain – from birth. Mother of Tuscany 4, Morrissey 3, Valen 6 months.
- Chelsea – 8 months Wouldn’t settle had given panadol, bottle of milk, burped, holding, patting, gently bouncing while holding her close (what she likes when overtired & can’t sleep) so put her in the pram & walked around the house & she fell asleep. Blake – 7 weeks Wouldn’t settle, Trav turned the stereo on loud and he fell asleep to AC/DC. Mother of Blake 3, Chelsea 1.
- Figuring out why baby was crying. Once I figured out that she had reflux, I used all the methods to help reduce the onset of reflux. This and the dummy helped her crying. After this she was like a completely different baby. Bubs would have been around 6-7 weeks old when I figured out exactly what was wrong. However, from 1wk old till then I would rock her and she would sometimes sleep on my chest. Mother of Kayla 4.5months.
- Only happened once. It was an upset tummy, once motion passed all ok lot of pacing up & down the hallway. Mother of Jorja 21 months.
- As a newborn, lots of pacing up and down the hall way and taking turns with Dad. Usually my husband could settle her down as he was great at swaddling her tight, and we were also told that sometimes newborns will not settle to sleep with their mothers as they can still smell her milk, so Dad’s chest can be a comforting place to fall asleep instead. Mother of Rose 3y.
- Generally, across all ages, feeding her always settled her down. Mother of Melayna 5y.
- Just to leave bub alone in his cot – he often improved when he had some time out away from mum. Maybe he could feel I was anxious. Mother of Jake 15 months.
How did you settle your baby?
