How to quiet new baby?

Question

My grandson is 18 days old. He cries unless he is being held. At 18 days he is way to young to just let cry, and suggestions? We have tried swaddeling him, putting him in a swing, a cradle, and a bouncie seat. We've rolled blankets up around him, so far nothing has worked. Please any ideas welcome.

Answer 1

Try putting one of mom's used shirts with him, maybe wrap it around a warm water bottle so he gets the heat and the scent of mom, also, the teddy bear that makes the womb sounds can work wonders too, or just make a tape of mom's heartbeat. You just have to keep trying different combinations of things until you find one that works. I know my newborn was real fussy until we discovered that she had some bad gas... We ended up using mylicon in her bottles and it helped her burp easier, although the doctors usually won't recommend it for newborns, but it doesn't hurt them any because it doesn't absorb into the bloodstream at all. Also, at 18 days, he may be having a growth spurt, which will make him fuss a bit too :) Good luck, and lots of patience!

Answer 2

You can't spoil a baby. There is nothing wrong with holding him. Being held is a true NEED at this very young age.

Keep in mind that just a few short days ago he was inside mom's tummy. He was always warm there and never hungry. He could see/hear/smell/taste/feel mom every second of every day. Imagine waking up and discovering your leg had been cut off. That's what it's like for a young baby who can't sense mom. Mom was there every second of his life and now sometimes she's GONE! He doesn't understand yet that 1. they are 2 separate people and 2. she still exhists when he can't sense her.

How is he being fed? If he is breastfed, you can't nurse too often. She should be nursing AT LEAST every 2 hours around the clock. Some babies may want to nurse more. That's normal too. Breastmilk digests in 90 minutes and his tummy is only the size of his fist.

Mom can wear him in a sling during the day so that he is near her but she has some freedom to move around easily and do things. (Although so early on she should still be taking it easy!)

Answer 3

well, it could just be gas. And if it is the best thing is go out to the store and get some baby gas drops and put a drop of that in he's bottle. If you haven't tried that you might be surprised on how good it works.

If you have a heat pad that you can just warm up in the microwave try that. Warm it up for not even a minute and put in where he sleeps and before you put him in there take it out and he's bed will be nice and warm and not cold. These are just a few things I learned from my Mom and Grandmother when I had my little girl.

Answer 4

What has worked for us is swaddling, but you've tried this already, we use the SwaddleMe blanket and then put a pacifier in his mouth and lay him in his crib or bassinet and then gently rock him. We also would take a bath with him. This is a 2 person job though. One person in the tub with him, make sure water isn't too warm or cold, and we'd just hold him in the water as he kinda floats while holding onto him. And the 2nd person is needed to hand the baby to when he's ready to come out.

Answer 5

First you need to rule out the possibity of colic. Colic will make a baby cry alot. If you can't put the baby up close to you and walk around and gently bounce to get him calm and then transfer him to a baby swing or a crib he's probably fussy because his tummy hurts.

I would have your son or daughter to call the doctor and ask if changing the formula might be necessary. If not they can at least offer more suggestions on how to handle the baby. Chances are if he's not in pain, he just wants the attention and he's caught on quickly as to how to get his way...

Glad to hear there are still grandparents out there who are involved with their grandchildren :-)

Answer 6

I highly suggest the book, "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp. It talks about the 4 S's...Swaddle, Shushing, Side(holding them on their sides) and Shake(bounce, not literally shaking). My son was colic and was only quiet when I was holding him too. The book really helped, especially with the swaddling b/c I wasn't doing it tight enough. It also talks about how the first 3 months of life should really be in the womb...of course there's NO WAY, but it's important to make them feel like they're in the womb to keep them calm. Sounds weird, but it actually made sense when he goes on to say that babies systems(nervous, gastric etc.) aren't fully developed until around 4 months old-which is when colic goes away and they start calming down. Also, you might want to get him checked for reflux...that can be a huge culprit. Good luck!

Answer 7

The $100 I spent on a papasan swing was the best $100 I ever spent in my life. I guarantee you many hours of peace and quiet with that. My son loved it but didn't like the regular back and forth swing. the side to side motion really seems to soothe them, and has also worked on every single baby in his day care too. (Which is how I found out about it!) :)

Congrats on your new arrival.

Answer 8

i was watching dr. phil and they had sum top pediatritions there and they said that you dont want the baby to cry too much because it cuts the oxygen to their brain and could cause some damage. They said to just hold the baby theat they wouldnt be spoiled. They say you cant spoil a baby thats younger than 6 months

Answer 9

Try carrying him in a sling or baby bjorn to keep him close while being hands free. You can also try a pacifier. We used to put a few drops of Mylicon on the paci.

Answer 10

Have you tried skin contact? Babies love to be skin-to-skin with Mama, or anyone. Undress baby, and place him on your chest, inside a button-down shirt. I don't know why it works, but it does. Read The Happiest Baby on the Block, and buy or make a sling! Congratulations!