How to soothe a fussy baby

What do you do if your baby is fussy?

First check that it’s not hunger or a dirty diaper. If those are accounted for, it may just be overstimulation.

So why would they be overstimulated?

Think about it, babies were in a cave-like environment for 9-10 months. In utero, it was dark, warm, they were snug and had a constant hum of movement (during the day as pregnant parent moved around) and constant noise (the whoosing sound of blood, and the steady beat of mom’s heart). Now, they’re “on the outside.” It’s colder, brighter, and more jarring. They’re also learning to poop for the first time, and have to digest and poop many times a day PLUS learn how to eat with their mouths. Whaaat?!!

They’re essentially in a new job 24 hrs a day. Remember when you started a new job, and you were taking in a ton of new information, a new environment, dynamics, unspoken and spoken rules and having to use your brain in different ways? Well, you probably crashed by about 5 pm. Same thing happens to our babies.

Here are some ways to help your baby settle when they’re overstimulated or overtired

1. Put baby in the “reset position” (head at your heart, close to you).

2. You could try a baby carrier like the Ergo, Solly wrap, or Baby Bjorn. Check that your baby meets the weight requirement.

3. Try pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp’s “5s for soothing baby” to turn on the baby’s calming reflex:

   1. SWADDLE your baby

   2. Hold baby in a SIDE-LYING position or along their STOMACH

   3. SHUSH (using a noise machine or in baby's ear to match the sound of their crying)

   4. SWING or SWAY with baby in gentle motions

   5. SUCK (pacifier or your clean finger)

See some of these tips in action:

Strong Nest owner, Kathleen Stern, demonstrates 3 ways to soothe a fussy baby.

Dr. Robert Hamilton demonstrates “the hold” to calm your baby in seconds.

So how do I know if my baby is tired?

There are some early cues (when your baby is most primed to fall asleep, with a little help from you):

• looking through you/zoning out

• droopy eyelids

• looking away

• sucking more slowly

• redness around the eyes

Then there are the late cues (when your baby is overtired and gets a “second wind,” requiring you to work a little harder to help them calm down):

• crying uncontrollably

• making more jerky body movements

• fussing

• flailing arms and legs

• being more easily startled

Written by Kathleen Stern (bio here). For more infant feeding and parent support, reach out to Kathleen at www.strongnestconsulting.com

Last updated December 14, 2025