Each baby is different, and even if it is the calmest in the world, it may have moments (or days) when it may be more nervous and irritable . When we find ourselves in this situation, the first thing we should do is verify that they are well (starting with the basics, such as checking the diaper and if they are hungry or sleepy), and calm down to calm them in a loving way. We are his support, and if he feels us in the same mood, the scene will become a dead end loop.
Why can a baby get nervous and irritable?
In addition to the basic survival issues of a baby (eating, being clean and sleeping), other factors may appear:
- From the environment : the baby may be uncomfortable due to excessive heat, cold, noise or having very uncomfortable clothes.
- Needs to Feel You : If a baby is feeling lonely, it is normal for him to be nervous. After being born and during the first months, babies continue a maturation process outside the mother’s womb, which is known as exterogestation. In this phase, the baby is especially vulnerable and needs, in addition to having its basic food needs covered, to feel the protection and warmth of mother .
- Health status : we must bear in mind that there are very common diseases among babies (such as infant colic, gas, fever, gastroenteritis or other infections), so, in addition to checking their temperature at home, we must consult with the pediatrician to rule out any of them.
How to relax your baby when he is nervous and irritable?
Give him a massage
Physical contact is essential for the baby to feel loved and safe , so this is a great time to give your baby a massage. Make sure there is a suitable temperature in the room and use a suitable oil for this purpose. Massages, in addition to calming and relaxing them, provides important benefits to their immune system.
Breast, bottle, or pacifier
The sucking reflex -whether it is nutritious, from the hand of the mother’s breast or the bottle, or non-nutritive, through the pacifier or even our fingers-, is very important because, in addition to its usefulness when feeding, it serves as training and also reassures them. Not in vain are there terms such as tetanalgesia, which refers to the effect of relief and comfort that suckling at the mother’s breast when they feel pain causes in the newborn and the young infant.
Cuddle him in your arms
For a baby there is nothing like the arms of their parents, so take advantage of that moment of connection that involves cradling them with all our love so that the baby feels safe. If your baby gets used to calming down in your arms, you’re doing great.
Go for a ride in the stroller
When a baby is nervous, and does not support arms or the carrier (because sometimes it happens), he tries to go out for a stroller ride. Your own movement, and that of things you can see (such as tree leaves), also has a very effective calming effect .
Sing to him
Songs or melodies calm and lull them because they function as a gentle distraction to begin breathing in a relaxed way. Sometimes we can be talking and the baby will not pay much attention to us, but when we begin to sing we manage to capture their attention towards us and our voice , since it has been proven that the voice of their mothers is even more effective than an alarm sound and that to calm him down, it works better to do it singing than talking to him.
Put music on
Listening to music brings countless benefits to babies (even from the womb), but one of the most important on a physical level is that it increases the level of endorphins, providing a feeling of well-being and reducing stress. In fact, it is used as a therapy in children with hyperactivity, causing motor reactions and their nervous system to balance with the intensity of the stimuli. To calmer and more relaxing music, calmer children.
Play with him
Sometimes babies just need our undivided attention, and playing is a great way to do that. You can zoom in and out on a toy that he likes, give him kisses on different parts of his body while you name them, try the cuckoo or even move his limbs gently. That interaction and our smile will have a very positive effect on the baby and will help him to calm down in a very natural way.
In Babies and More | Five ways to generate positive emotions thanks to relaxation and physical contact
Image | freepik
