Soothing a crying baby

Baby Sutras for soothing a crying baby

Mommy, I want to tell you something. All that you do to soothe me and make me stop crying, really really helps. But I am just a little baby, experiencing the biggest change that I would ever encounter in my entire life. One that I didn’t even choose to undertake – that of leaving the cozy warmth of your cushioned  tummy for this unfamiliar, unwobbly and bright outside world.

So please bear with me while I make my best effort to adjust to this change of breathing through my nose, feeding through my mouth, getting my metabolism engine started and pooping it all out.

I do understand that bringing me to this world is no easy task and you are tired and exhausted too. It pains me to see you in tears sometimes, trying to  soothe me down through one of my wailing sessions or my tummy cramps fighting your own fatigue and the guilt and helplessness of not being able to comfort me. Even I  wish I was born with a better vocabulary than a mono rhythmic wail really, so life was a tad bit easier for all of us. But alas, I believe nature has its own reasons for what it does. I am just grateful for it to have let you be my mommy.

I love your undying spirit of making all efforts to comfort me and soothe me. And trust me, I am making an effort every day too, to grow up a bit and be a little less difficult. So today, I wanted to share with you a few Baby Sutras that really really work. Some of these you’ve already tried, others are what my fellow babies (oh yes, we have a secret communication language!) have shared with me.

Music: Your heartbeat is the best music for my ears. Actually, my entire body. Your voice, is just next to it. 9 months, I have swung to the rhythm of this heart and nothing ever soothes me more than to be really close to your heart. So if you think I am being cranky, finicky or difficult, just hold me close to you in a silent place with no distractions. Just breathe and hum a little and give me some time. Unless my body is giving me a difficult time, I will quieten down and be peacefully asleep. Try it mommy, it really works, even if I am a toddler and not a little baby anymore. It still works. At least, it soothes me the most.

Sleep: You know when I was in your tummy and slept most part of the day while you went about doing your work or exercising for yourself and me? What made me fall asleep was the gentle slushes that rocked me back and forth in that cushioned cocoon of mine. Replicate that mommy. If you want to put me to sleep, hold me in your arms and just sway sideways,as if you are gently walking, shifting your weight from one hip to the other. That’s it. I’ll be asleep in your arms before you get tired of the walk.

Food: This food you give me, makes my tummy twist and turn and bloat and sink every day. I don’t know how you eat it with such relish. For me, it is quite unnerving, specially the small pockets of air that pinch my insides. You call me colicky but all I am trying to do is get over the pain pockets. You know mommy, what you eat makes a huge difference. The days when you take that magic potion of saunf (fennel), methi (fenugreek) and ajwain (carrom seeds) water, I feel less ‘gassy’and when you eat your fruits. And that spot of heeng (asafoetida) that you wiggle on my belly button does wonders. Also, when you make me lie on my tummy, with my legs folded under me and stroke me from my back to the neck…. i just love it. When the air leaves my little mouth with a pop, I burp off to a peaceful sleep.

Stress: Last, but not the least, while you may think I am too little to understand, I have super sharp antennas that can pick up signals to your stress even in my sleep. Mommy, take a deep breath or two, or 3.4.5.6. Take as many as needed. And realize that you are just stressed. Do yoga or cardio or whatever. Pause. Relax. Make arrangements around you that support you. Speak up and let people know what you need. This is a special year for you, as is for me. So make things work for you. It will get better. And while right now, you way be wanting to run away sometimes , I know it is momentary. Take those breaths, de-stress and bring back your strength of that unending love to the surface again.

You and I are an awesome team! Together, we can and we will have a whale of a time!

Chandana Tyagi

She is a Performance Coach and an HR Consultant working in the areas of leadership development and learning. She has 12+ years of experience with organizations like Coca Cola, Accenture and Sapient and owes her professional knowledge to institutes like XLRI (IR 2004) & IET (B Tech EC 2002).

She is a mother of two wonderful boys aged 10 and 1 who keep her young at heart and agile on her toes, at all times. She is passionate about books, food, baby talk and human potential. You will find her blogging on topics related to the joy of reading, ecstasy of good food, exciting world of the babies and the unexplored enigma of true human potential.

You can find her experiences on her personal blog Reader Mommy as well.

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