Anyone who has ever had a baby in their home has a common experience. Even a baby that is considered to be perfect by his parents will also experience this difficulty. I’m talking about crying, and regardless of whether they do it often or they only do it on occasion, it can really make things difficult for parents. That is especially true when they do it in the middle of the night and you just can’t get enough sleep.
Each and every one of us has been there at some point in our lives. The sound of a baby crying will instantly wake a mother in the middle of the night and, even though they weren’t communicating through a spoken language, they are communicating loud and clear. The problem is, most of us have no idea how to calm the baby and to keep them from crying. We feel sorry for them because we realize that they are uncomfortable in some way or another but, since they can’t tell us the specific problem they are dealing with, it just continues to be a problem.
What Makes Babies Cry?
Many parents have asked themselves the question of why their babies cry, but they may not be aware of the real answer. The fact the matter is, babies cry because it is the only way they know how to communicate. They can’t tell us outright what they need or want, so they cry to let us know that they need or want ‘something’.
All babies cry at some point or another but some cry more than others. On average, a newborn would go through a period of crying for about three hours every day. That amount of time tends to reduce to an hour a day by three months of age but when you are holding a crying baby, you don’t really think about the statistics.
When a baby is crying, it seems like they will never stop so we want to let you in on a little technique that can calm the baby and it works like magic.
A pediatrician from Santa Monica California, Dr. Robert Hamilton, posted a video in 2015 on YouTube and it went viral. It shows him holding a baby that is crying and doing it in such a way that the baby calms down quickly. That video is approaching 30 million views!
Hamilton coined the phrase “The Hold” and has used it for years to calm babies who visited his office. It is a simple technique but it is one that most people are not aware of. Once you learn it, it is going to enhance your life in ways you couldn’t imagine possible.
You can watch The Hold in this video:
How to Do the Hold
1. Fold the arms across the chest
2. Secure the arms gently after they’re folded
3. Gently grasp the diaper area with your dominant hand
4. At a 45-degree angle, gently rock the baby up and down
It truly is that simple. Of course, each baby may react differently and some may take longer to calm down than others. You may also need to slightly modify The Hold by rocking the baby up and down or ‘stirring’ the baby in gentle circles. He shows how to do it in the video.
If you are dealing with a crying baby, remember that it doesn’t reflect on your parenting skills. All babies cry and sometimes, it is just something you need to put up with. If your baby seems upset and inconsolable, you may want to contact your pediatrician to ensure that everything is okay. Otherwise, use The Hold and enjoy some peace and quiet.