Fussy baby driving you nuts? At wits end and just need a moment of peace? At ease, dear parent, a solution is near. Ten of them in fact. On this page is a list of effective products that will help calm your fussy baby when the common methods of doing so fall short.
Every parent should have a fussy-baby toolkit at their disposal – here are some of the best to add to your cranky-baby arsenal.
1. The Coveted Baby Swing
Fisher Price My Little Snugapuppy Swing via Amazon
This is the most pricey baby soothing product on this list, but a very effective one. Many o’ moms and pops have salvaged their sanity with the help of the baby swing. A bouncer is good to have too, but if you’re going to choose between one or the other, go with the swing. Baby’s love swings. The motions, the swaying, the distracting do-dads – all very effective for calming your baby, and giving you some precious moments of peace.
2. Calm Your Baby With Vibration
Summer Infant’s Soothe and Vibe Portable Soother via Amazon
Using some good vibrations, and not just the Marky Mark kind, is a little known trick among elite parents to chill out their baby. You can go old-school and use the vibrating motion of your washing machine or dryer. A simple method is just to place your baby in an infant seat, put them on top of the appliance, and watch the magic happen. Specific baby vibrating products we recommend include the Eddie Bauer Portable Vibrating Owl Soother & Summer Infant’s Soothe and Vibe Portable Soother.
3. The Tried and True Pacifier
WubbaNub Plush Animal Pacifiers via Amazon
No fussy-baby toolkit is complete without a baby pacifier. Once breastfeeding is successfully established, you can introduce the pacifier as a super effective and portable calming product. Babies are known to be picky when it comes to their preferred pacifier, so you may want to grab a couple brands to see what works best for your little one (luckily they’re cheap).
4. Cuddle em’ Up in a Swaddling Blanket
Swaddling Blanket image via theguardian
Babies love the feeling of a snug swaddling blanket. Being wrapped in a swaddle reminds babies of being inside the womb, and thus has a great calming effect. Pretty much any blanket can be used to swaddle a baby, but you can find great swaddle wraps made specifically for the use that work great.
5. Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother via Amazon
This is a great product particularly for helping your baby drift off to sleep. The warm, mesmerizing ocean glow coupled with fun sea creature friends create a cozy atmosphere to help soothe your baby off into dreamland. It uses soft melodies and ocean sounds, with a cool feature that gradually softens lights and music every 10 minutes to help your baby drift off asleep.
6. Create Ambient Noise with a Sound Machine
The First Years Sounds For Silence Nursery Sound Machine via Amazon
Too much silence can be a bad thing when it comes to babies. A little sound will do wonders to help them relax. Part of the reason is that being inside the womb is very noisy, with digestive sounds, heart beats and all that, it can be very noisy inside there. Babies aren’t used to total quiet, and it can actually make them feel uncomfortable. The simple solution is to just have a light fan going on in the background, or snag a sound machine. A soother also will help with this that comes with soft melodies and sound effects such as the one listed above.
7. Use the Sleep Sheep Companion
Sleep sheep soother via Amazon
This little calming toy is a great addition to your cranky-baby toolkit. Not only is it a cool, comfy companion for your baby, but its also a sound machine with soothing sounds and melodies, including a mother’s heartbeat. The sleep sheep is a renown soothing product loved by many parents and a winner of a number of industry awards.
8. Keep Baby Close in a Sling
Boba Baby Sling via Amazon
New parents soon realize that a great way to calm a fussy baby is just to hold them. Sometimes all it takes to calm your baby is to keep them close, letting them feel your warmth and listen to your heartbeat. And if your arms become tired from holding a particularly cranky baby, using a swing carrier is a great solution!
9. Calming Ointments & Lotions
There are a variety of lotions and ointments available that have a great calming effect thanks to their soothing ingredients such as lavender. These products are an especially helpful tool to help relax your baby before bedtime. Keeps their skin healthy and moisturized while also helping your baby get into serenity mode.
10. Relieve Common Baby Discomfort
Sophie the Giraffe Teether via Amazon
A lot of the times a the culprit of a fussy baby’s tantrum is just that they are feeling some sort of discomfort. Try burping your baby in case they are suffering from gas. Other things to look for, could be the temperature, skin irritation or perhaps they have started teething, in which case you’ll need to have a quality teether at hand.