Being a new dad how can I comfort my newborn baby in the middle of the night?  

Undoubtedly it was a thrilling experience when you heard your newborn baby crying for the first time. But as the weeks go by, it becomes challenging to settle a cranky baby especially at the night. Newborn babies cannot sense day and night and that is why they can sleep and cry round the clock. Your baby’s tiny fragile digestive system is unable to hold the breast milk and formula milk for too long and that is why they wakeup often for feeds. Certainly, the stomach of your newborn baby is the main alarm clock but several other factors that can make your munchkin cry in the middle of the night are as follows:

• Nappy change

• Tangled finger in a swaddle and the baby is getting uncomfortable

• The temperature of the room is not appropriate (either it’s too cold or too hot)

• Sickness (most probably if your baby has a cold or an ear infection)

• Colic

• Growth spurt hunger

• Overtired baby

As such, there is no specific technique to comfort your munchkin in the middle of the night because all babies are different. Still, there are various tried and tested suggestions for all the new dads so that they can easily settle their newborn baby in the middle of the night:

• Make sure your baby is sleeping in the same room so that you can quickly attend a cranky baby

• Reduce stimulation – switch off the lights and reduce noises

• Shut off the T.V

• Swaddle your baby in a blanket

• Soothe with sound- White noise (turn on the fan or make your baby hear the recordings of a waterfall, beaches on your smartphone)

• Rock your baby

• Gently rub his/her back

• Offer a pacifier

• Check the temperature of the room (it should not be too cold or too hot)

• Check your baby’s clothes and nappy

• Do not quickly turn on the lights as and when your baby starts crying. Use only dim lights while comforting your baby

• Quickly respond to your baby’s cries at night and ask your spouse for baby feeds

• If your baby is on formula milk then you must learn how to prepare it when your partner is sleeping

• Do not start playing with your baby in the middle of the night because that’s a bad idea to settle a cranky child

• Wear your baby and make him/her hear your heartbeat

• Help and support your partner while she is breastfeeding the little one

Gradually you will understand your baby’s sleep needs and he/she will develop a specific sleep pattern. So do not lose your calm and patiently handle your munchkin.