Home

Calming a Newborn Baby

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Admin under Children, Family shoots, Maternity Shoots, Newborn Shoots

Specialising in Newborn photography has so many lovely moments, one of which is helping an unsettled baby to settle. Whilst some may think its ‘magic’ (it can seem that way sometimes) there are a few techniques which I thought I share with you today.

Bringing a baby home from hospital for the first time is such a giant moment, especially if its your first baby. I remember when I bought my son home from hospital, I was so excited to be leaving I hadn’t really thought about what lay ahead. I remember finally getting home, placing him on my bed and thinking “now what?”

Well that moment doesn’t last for long, they maybe little but their voices aren’t! We just haven’t learnt their language at that point, and learning their cries is no easy task! You’re tired, your body aches, your hormones are all over the place and you’re so in love with this tiny little person all you want in the world is to make them happy and safe – and then they cry 🙁

You’ve checked the basics, they’re clean, they’re fed, they aren’t sick, and still they cry (and you might too) So here are some of tips I’ve learnt in my career in newborn photography.

Happily sleeping
  1. This is the most important tip, it may seem easy, it’s not! DO NOT PANIC, DO NOT STRESS! Your baby knows your heart beat, they know your emotions, if you get upset, they will get upset. Take a deep breathe and relax, maybe put some of your favourite music on, think about your favourite place, but relax.
  2. Wind is the number one cause of baby crying, are their little legs going crazy is a sign of this, perhaps you’ve tried to give them a little food and they are fussing so much they won’t take it. Try your favourite winding position first, if it doesn’t work try moving them. I find walking with them resting on my shoulder whilst tapping and rubbing their backs is a good one. Change their position, keep changing it until they can get comfy. (and don’t stress!)
  3. So, they’ve burped and they are still crying, don’t worry, I have more solutions 🙂 Have you ever been in an discussion and got so carried away with it you can’t remember what the initial thought was about? Crying is a bit like this, they started for reason, you’ve fixed the reason, but now they are a so upset they can’t remember why so keep on crying. You need to break the cycle, cause a distraction, a loud constant noise is often the best solution. I have a metal sink in the newborn photography studio and luckily very strong water pressure, switching the tap quickly on full makes a very loud noise and stops 95% of baby tears. Don’t just turn it off though, let it run for a few minutes so they can calm down and gradually turn it off. No loud sink? A hover, hairdryer, even the radio switched to static works just as well, just make sure it’s a sudden and continuous noise.
  4. They are now calm but you can tell still a bit touchy, don’t rush this step, they will be tired from all those tears so you want to put them to sleep now, keep them in your arms, I find having their heads rest on my chest and gently humming works brilliant, they can hear your heart beat and the vibrations from your hum is very soothing. Does your baby like to be stroked or tapped? I start every newborn photography session with a very simple set up which is when I get to know your baby and figure out what they like. Some love their foreheads stroked whilst they gentle drift off to sleep, others like their bums gently tapped whilst being rocked, others like to gaze out the window, they are all wonderfully different and there is no single answer, enjoy figuring them out 🙂
  5. Finally – dummies….this is a controversial one, some babies get nothing from them, others get a lot of comfort from sucking. I love dummies, I believe in happy baby = happy parents but I appreciate this isn’t for everyone. Dummies have different teats and babies will have a definite preference – the one I find most love is the Soothie Dummy by Avent. If you gently tap the base of the dummy once its in their mouth it encourages them to suck.
Soothie Dummy

So in summary

  1. Eliminate the basics
  2. Stay calm
  3. Try to burp them
  4. Distraction
  5. Soothe them
  6. Try a Dummy

I hope at this point you’ll have a calm, sleeping baby. My last tip is to enjoy it, the washing can wait, they house will still be messy in half and hour. Sit down and enjoy the moment, cuddle your baby, take a break and enjoy them in your arms, put your feet up and enjoy a TV break while you cuddle (Life in Pieces is really funny and great to dive into if you haven’t seen it before) Trust me, with a now 9 year old child who is nearly the same size as me, these moments go so fast so take the time to enjoy them. They are all so very different and unique, what works for one baby may not work for another, enjoy getting to know your child and everything that makes them so special.

Skin to skin, head to heart, try gently humming

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *