How to Soothe a Crying Newborn

When your newborn will not stop crying, it can be difficult to know what they need, especially when you are tired too. Crying is one of the main ways a newborn communicates that they need comfort or care, and sometimes there is no immediately obvious reason for it.

Start with the basics. Check whether your baby may be hungry, needs a nappy change, is tired, wants to be held, has wind, feels too hot or cold, or may be overwhelmed by noise and activity. If their basic needs seem met, gentle holding, rocking, repetitive sounds, skin-to-skin contact or a change of surroundings may help.

Sometimes, though, a baby continues crying despite everything you try. That does not mean you are doing something wrong. Comforting techniques do not work every time, and knowing when to ask for help matters just as much as knowing how to soothe your baby.

Why do newborn babies cry?

Newborn crying can feel urgent because that is exactly what it is designed to do. It gets your attention.

According to the NHS, common reasons babies cry include:

hunger
a wet or dirty nappy
tiredness
wanting a cuddle
wind
feeling too hot or too cold
boredom
overstimulation

Sometimes the cause becomes obvious as soon as you pick your baby up or begin checking these possibilities. Other times, you may work through the whole list and still not know why they are upset.

Babies can also have periods when they cry more and are difficult to comfort. Crying often increases during the early weeks before gradually reducing as babies get older.

Rather than trying to identify the perfect solution immediately, it can help to calmly work through likely causes one at a time.

Start by checking your baby’s basic needs

Before trying different soothing techniques, check whether your baby is asking for something practical.

Could your baby be hungry?

Hunger is one of the common reasons babies cry.

If you think your baby may be hungry, respond to their feeding cues and feed them according to the advice you have been given for your baby.

If your baby regularly cries during or after feeds, struggles with feeding, refuses feeds or you are concerned about how much they are feeding, speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP.

Do they need a nappy change?

Check whether your baby’s nappy is wet or dirty.

Some babies are more bothered by a wet nappy than others, so a quick check can rule out a simple source of discomfort.

Are they tired?

Newborn babies can become unsettled when they are tired. They can also become overwhelmed by lots of light, sound, movement or interaction.

If your baby has been awake and surrounded by activity, try making things quieter and calmer.

Are they comfortable?

Check whether your baby feels too warm or cold and whether their clothes or nappy seem uncomfortable.

If you are unsure about safe temperatures or how to dress your newborn, follow current NHS guidance or ask your midwife or health visitor.

Gentle ways to soothe a crying newborn

There is no single soothing technique that works for every baby. You may find one method helps today and makes very little difference tomorrow.

Try gentle approaches and pay attention to how your baby responds.

Hold your baby close

Some babies settle when they are held close to a parent or carer.

You can try cuddling your baby against your chest or holding them skin to skin. The NHS includes holding and skin-to-skin contact among approaches that may help comfort a crying baby.

Your baby may still cry while being held. Comfort does not always mean the crying stops immediately.

Use gentle movement

A slow walk around the room or gentle rocking may help.

The NHS also suggests walking with your baby in a pram or sling as one possible soothing approach.

Keep movements gentle. Never shake your baby, even during play or when you are trying to settle them.

Try calm, repetitive sounds

Talking softly, humming or singing can give your baby something steady and familiar to focus on.

Some babies respond to gentle background or repetitive noise.

You do not need a special sound machine or particular playlist. Your voice may be enough.

Reduce stimulation

If the room is busy, bright or noisy, your baby may benefit from a quieter environment.

Try reducing noise and activity and slowing down what you are doing.

The NHS Best Start in Life guidance recommends using a soothing, repetitive approach when a baby becomes distressed.

Try a warm bath

Some babies find a warm bath calming.

This will not suit every baby, and a baby who dislikes baths may become more upset instead. If bathing seems to relax your baby, it can be one option among several rather than something you need to do whenever they cry.

Always follow current baby bathing safety guidance.

Go outside for a little while

A change of environment can sometimes help both baby and parent.

If practical, a gentle walk outside with your baby safely secured in their pram or suitable carrier may be soothing.

Even moving into another quiet room can sometimes change the rhythm of a difficult moment.

What if your newborn keeps crying?

There will be times when you have checked your baby’s nappy, offered a feed when appropriate, cuddled them, walked around, tried soothing sounds and still have a crying baby in your arms.

It can be exhausting.

Some babies simply have periods of crying that are difficult to soothe. The NHS notes that there can be times of day when babies cry a lot and cannot easily be comforted.

If your baby otherwise seems well, continue offering calm comfort and ask someone you trust to help if you need a break.

If the crying is constant, cannot be consoled or distracted, sounds different from your baby’s usual cry, or is accompanied by signs of illness, seek medical advice.

If the crying is becoming too much for you

Persistent crying can put enormous pressure on a tired parent or carer.

If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, it is safer to take a short break than to continue holding your baby while you are extremely frustrated.

NHS guidance says that if you have no one who can take over and the crying is making you stressed, you can put your baby somewhere safe, such as their cot, step into another room for a short time to calm yourself, and then return to check on them.

The ICON programme used by NHS services summarises the message simply: infant crying is normal, comforting methods can sometimes help, it is OK to walk away briefly when the baby is safe, and you should never shake or hurt a baby.

Never shake your baby. Shaking can cause serious brain injury.

If another adult is available, ask them to take over for a while. Needing help does not mean you have failed. Caring for a newborn can be intensely tiring, and support is part of keeping both you and your baby safe.

When crying could mean your baby is unwell

Most crying is not a sign of serious illness, but changes in your baby’s usual behaviour can matter.

The NHS advises getting medical help if your baby cries constantly and cannot be consoled or distracted, or if their cry does not sound like their normal cry.

Other concerning signs can include your baby:

not feeding normally
being difficult to wake or unusually unresponsive
appearing floppy
having difficulty breathing
having blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
having a rash that does not fade when pressed
vomiting forcefully
having nappies that are much drier than usual
having a high or unusually low temperature

Some symptoms require urgent medical attention. Follow current NHS guidance and trust your instincts if your baby’s appearance, breathing, feeding, responsiveness or cry is worrying you.

You do not have to stop every cry

It is natural to want the crying to stop because hearing your newborn upset can be stressful.

But soothing your baby is not a test you pass only when they become quiet.

Sometimes you can feed them, change them, cuddle them and calmly try several comfort techniques, and they may continue crying for a while.

Your role is to respond safely and attentively, not to guarantee that every technique works.

Over time, you may start recognising patterns in your baby’s behaviour. You might notice certain cries around feeding, tiredness or particular times of day. If the crying seems unusual or you are concerned about a pattern, keeping a simple note of when it happens can also be useful when speaking to your health visitor or GP.

When to get professional advice

Contact your GP, health visitor or NHS 111 if your newborn is crying constantly and cannot be consoled or distracted, their cry sounds different from usual, they are not feeding normally, or they have other signs that make you think they may be unwell.

Call 999 if your baby has severe difficulty breathing, is unresponsive or will not wake, has a seizure, has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, or has another emergency symptom listed in current NHS guidance.

If you are very worried about a young baby, seek medical help rather than waiting to see whether the crying settles.

You can also ask your midwife, health visitor or GP for support if your baby’s crying is affecting your ability to cope. You do not need to wait until you feel at breaking point before asking someone to help.