6 Simple Tricks to Soothe & Comfort Your Baby Using Music!

Music is a great way for you to calm your baby. You may have heard your fellow mommy-friends saying that after trying all sorts of tactics to soothe a fussing, crying baby, they resorted to music to finally change the mood. You too can try using these musical tips and tricks to take your baby from boohoo to woohoo!

Have you noticed how your little bub stays silent when a familiar tune is played? How he sometimes gives you a smile or a gurgle of appreciation? That is because music has a calming effect on one and all!

Even the moodiest babies respond well to certain sounds and tunes. For example, the sounds of nature, songs, or even just white noise can make your baby calm down. In fact, even if your baby isn’t crying, it is a great idea to introduce music to their lives. A few minutes of music every day can help your child develop rhythm and overall cognitive development. Some studies also link music to weight gain, brain development, and understanding language earlier in life.

Let’s look at how to soothe your newborn with music using some simple tricks:

1. Choose the Right Kind of Song

No, you do not have to struggle to pick the one ‘perfect’ song for your baby. Usually, if you simply play your favourite music while feeding your baby or while washing up, you will see your baby reacting to it. You can let your personal preferences be your guide in choosing music for you baby, whether it is classical music, lullabies or even film music. As a thumbrule, anything with a good melody is well-liked by babies. However, there are two tips you should remember when picking the right kind of song to soothe the baby:

• Pick slow songs for bedtime and fast ones for play time.
• Avoid loud rock, rap or any songs with too much ‘noise’, Experts have found that babies prefer pleasant and melodious music, and it helps them relax. Your baby’s mood will automatically alter with the sound – for the better!

Tip: Avoid putting on music and leaving the room. It is better to play some music before your child falls asleep. This is because, if your child wakes up and the music has stopped, he may get cranky and call for you.

2. Sing to your Baby

Babies love their mother’s voice more than anyone else’s in the world. It is the voice they grew up listening to while in the womb, and it brings them tremendous comfort. So, don’t hesitate to sing like nobody is around! You don’t have to be a great singer to do this; your baby is going to love your voice no matter what.

3. Wiggle your Baby and Make “shhh” Sounds

Right from the womb, babies learn to respond to rhythm. In order to soothe your baby, gently rock your baby while making “shhh” sounds to help calm him down. This will mimic the familiar comfort of the womb. It is a good idea to help them sleep too. However, make sure this doesn’t become a “sleep crutch” and your baby becomes dependent on it to fall asleep. Use sparingly.||

4. Caress your Baby Along With the Music

While singing to your baby (or while music is playing), gently stroke your baby’s face downward from the temple to the bridge of the nose. Doing this along with music can help settle a baby that refuses to calm down.

5. Bath-time Beats

Music is not beneficial only during bed-time or play-time; it can have excellent benefits during bath-time too! Use calming music while bathing your baby to help your baby to relax. It will also calm your aching nerves!

Tip: Some babies enjoy making music while in the bath, such as banging on a drum or xylophone. You can let them have fun with musical instruments for babies. It is a good way to introduce them to music as well as keep them engaged.

6. Dance and Use Face/Hand Gestures

Guess what, you can even resort to dancing to music! It works as a distraction and a great stress buster not just for your baby but for you too. We know being a mommy to a little one means having to make funny sounds, dance, sing and be all sorts of crazy despite all the exhaustion, but you know it’s worth it!