Good news, parents and sitters! A pediatrician demonstrates a simple technique to calm a crying baby and it is mighty effective.
Dealing with a crying baby is indeed an excruciating battle. The resounding pitch of a weeping infant often leaves parents sleepless and exhausted, even wondering if there is something wrong with their child.
Dr. Robert Hamilton, founder of Pacific Ocean Pediatrics in Santa Monica, California, understands the situation of new parents very well. Hamilton is proud to have cared for thousands of newborns in his career as a pediatrician. He also acknowledges the challenge of providing his clients with clear information on parenting, especially when it comes to handling an infant who's crying loudly.
With Hamilton's 30 years of practice in pediatric medicine, he created and uploaded a video on Sunday, Nov 29, showing how easy it is to calm a crying baby.
Hamilton calls it "The Hold" and in the clip, it was clearly demonstrated how two crying babies were instantly calmed down by the said technique.
Hamilton summarized the entire method into four easy steps:
- Fold [the baby's arms] across the chest.
- Secure arms gently.
- Grasp diaper area.
- Rock at a 45-degree angle.
"You can see that he comforts pretty quickly," Hamilton said as he effectively stopped one of the crying babies.
Aside from complying with the step-by-step procedure, Hamilton also gave additional tips while performing "The Hold."
First, parents should maintain a 45-degree angle while holding the baby as this prevents the child from throwing his/her head and gives the parent more control.
Next, Hamilton advised parents to do every step in a gentle manner and to avoid excessive jerky movements.
Lastly, the pediatrician said it is best to hold the baby with the fleshy area of the hands and not with the fingertips. The chin must also be adequately supported.
In the end, Hamilton said this technique generally works like magic, but when the baby just won't stop crying, he said it is time to assess whether the baby is hungry or genuinely feeling ill.
