Five Tips to Calm An Anxious Infant

The baby grows, and his or her nervous system develops. Other emotions emerge, and the baby learns to express his needs differently. But until he realizes this, you need to watch your baby’s behavior closely and respond to it immediately. In time, you will learn to understand why a newborn baby is crying by the slightest change in his facial expressions or intonation.

An infant cannot tell his parents that he is anxious and worried, so he communicates this information the only way he can – through his behavior. Frequent crying, poor sleep, and difficulties with feeding – these signs in a healthy baby can indicate excessive anxiety. Where does anxiety come from in a newborn? And how to help, in this case, the baby and the parents.

The baby does not sleep well and cries all the time. How to deal with it?

A baby shows anxiety in several ways. First and foremost, crying. It is a baby’s main way of getting attention and meeting needs. However, besides anxiety, crying can also mean the baby is hungry, sleepy, uncomfortable, colic, etc. If a baby cries after feeding, he or she may have colic. Many parents face this symptom in the first 3-4 months of a baby’s life. The pediatrician may recommend abdominal massage and medications to improve digestion. Pay attention to the quality of the baby formula you use, its composition, and the presence of all the necessary minerals and vitamins for comfortable work of the digestive system. European baby formulas based on organic milk with probiotics in their composition can be a helpful remedy in such cases. 

Crying is an all too common sign that something is going wrong. In addition, there are other important signs of anxiety in your baby’s life. 

First, you must pay attention to your baby’s sleeping habits. The baby does not sleep well, for example, falling asleep for half an hour and only in your arms, then waking up and crying. An anxious baby may refuse feeding more often, and you have to offer it many times. Behave restlessly- motor excitement and rapid breathing, and less often screaming. It quickly stops when the mom appears, with her gentle voice or a smile. By the way, the signs of anxiety can also include the fact that the child can not stay alone, even for a minute, and constantly needs contact with a parent, at least visually. It should be noted that the smaller the child, the more physical contact he or she needs with the parent.

What can parents do to ease an infant’s anxiety?

1. Offer breast milk/bottle. Sucking is the primary way for a baby to calm down. The more anxious the baby is, the more he or she needs this process.
2. Hold the baby in your arms more often, kind of skin-to-skin contact. Give gentle massages. This way, the parent gives the baby closeness and a sense of security, and then he or she will be calmer and braver in further separation from the parent.
3. Never ignore the baby’s cries, and try to respond as soon as possible.
4. Talk to the baby softly or sing a song.
5. Don’t do things that increase anxiety. If your baby doesn’t like bathing, you shouldn’t stubbornly insist. Pause or try it at different times of the day, at different temperatures. Or, for example, if the baby does not sleep in a crib – let him sleep where he is better at it. He does not want to go in a stroller – use a sling. Don’t try to do everything right – do it the way you and your baby feel most comfortable.