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Desperate

The past couple days, Eva has been a little fussier than usual. As new parents, T.J. and I probably think it’s a lot worse than it actually is, but can you blame us? We just want her to be her happy, healthy self! So, that being said, we have been trying anything and everything to get her to settle down, as well as reading article upon article online for tips and suggestions.

So far, two things work pretty well to get her to stop crying and to help her fall asleep.

  1. Putting her in her car seat with the cover on(where she sleeps in through the night still because she hates her cradle… help!) and walking it around the house. I think she likes the movement and the cover obviously gets rid of the distractions.
  2. Singing to her in the rocking chair. My mom is a elementary school music teacher and so every time we talk she tells me to sing to Eva because it will help her learn how to stay on key and develop a singing voice when she’s older. My mom says it’s true, so I’m sure it is. But I have to admit, it does calm Eva. I just need to break out the children’s hymnbook because I keep singing the same three or four songs. (One of which is “I’m Trying to be like Jesus” to the tune of Harry Potter.)

If you have any other suggestions of how to get a baby to stop crying or sleep… I would greatly appreciate it.

4 replies
  1. Allison
    Allison says:

    We had a VERY hard time with getting Addie to sleep. The first couple months she woke up about every 30 minutes. We took shifts at night sleeping and staying up with her. We finally found that she would sleep in her vibrating bouncy chair. Everyone always says routines and baths and things like that but to be honest I don’t think anything worked until we let her cry at three months now she is the best sleeper ever! So if you can hold out until then that’s my best advice. Also I’ve read a lot of places that babies fussiness peaks around 6-8 weeks and then they get more mellow. Hope that helps!

    Reply
  2. Christina
    Christina says:

    Get these 2 books if you don’t have them already–they helped us IMMENSELY with our first child. Baby Wise and Healthy Habits, Happy Baby. Seriously. And their fussiness really does peak right aboutr 6-8 weeks. True story. Just be persistent in whatever routine you do with her and when she gets to be 3-4 months old, don’t be afraid to let her cry it out a little! If you want a good sleeper later on, then you have to start early!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie
    Stephanie says:

    We got a newborn pillow from target (I think it was boppy brand). Then we swaddled her really well. Avery slept through the night from then on. Once she got used to sleeping all night without eating we took the pillow away. Our pediatrician also recommended elevating the head of the crib to help with digestion. The newborn pillow made that work a lot better as well (without out it she’d slide down so her face was under the blankets). Good luck! And don’t worry, bad sleeping habits will pass eventually 🙂

    Reply
  4. Meghan Caldwell
    Meghan Caldwell says:

    Ah, newborns and sleep. Or lack thereof! It’s still early, but I definitely recommend sleep training. We used “Sleeping Through the Night” by Jodi Mindell and I loved it. Simple and straightforward (this book is a lot like “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby” but more succinct and straightforward). I’ve heard amazing things about Baby Wise as well, but I know you have to be like 200% committed. Until then, Stephanie’s comment is good – if digestion is a concern, raising her bed a bit might help. I also loved swaddling. It totally helped Ethan. Good luck!

    Reply

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