Newborn baby care – soothing your baby, safe sleeping and routines

Settling a newborn and baby sleep routines are some of the most searched topics for new parents. Here, midwife Karin Abood shares her wisdom about why we’ve moved away from the word ‘settle’ and use the word ‘soothe’ instead, important sleep safety tips and whether a baby needs a sleep routine.

To make things easier for new parents, we’ve compiled a series of antenatal videos, one of which you can watch in full above on newborn baby care and includes how to change a nappy and how to bathe a newborn, and soothing your baby and getting them to sleep.

Scroll down to find out from midwife Karin Abood about soothing your newborn, sleep routines and sleep safety. 

How to soothe your newborn

‘Settling’ a baby is always a popular topic, however the word has come to have a negative meaning so ‘soothing’ is how health care professionals refer to calming a baby that is crying or upset.

“It can be hard to determine why a baby is crying at first and I try to support parents to understand what is normal newborn behaviour,” says Midwife Karin Abood. “Helping new parents understand the transition that their little one has made from the womb to the outside can help them understand those early newborn behaviours.”

In recent years, the term ‘the fourth trimester’ has been used to describe the first few months after a baby’s birth, as they grow accustomed to being earth side.

It’s a good idea to run through a quick checklist: are they hungry, do they need a nappy change, or are they overstimulated.

Overstimulation is one of the most missed cues in those early weeks and newborns can get overstimulated very quickly, Karin explains. “In the womb the baby feels safe and secure, they are warm and there’s always noise and movement, so these are things we encourage parents to incorporate into their soothing techniques when helping their little one feel calm.”

Tips on soothing a baby

Ask yourself: are they hungry, overstimulated or do they need a nappy change?

Changing their nappy to feeding are easy fixes. Using a good quality nappy like Huggies helps absorb mess and moisture to protect Baby’s skin, meaning this is less likely to upset them.

If they are overstimulated, try wrapping them up snug in a swaddle or muslin wrap, and taking them somewhere quiet and dark.

Touch is comforting, so using a moisturiser or massage oil can help them relax. This is also a lovely ritual to create as part of bath time.

Newborn sleep, safety and routines

For a long time, parents felt the pressure to get their newborn into a sleep routine as soon as possible, but health care professionals are helping them understand the ‘fourth trimester’. This is the first 10-12 weeks of a baby’s life as they are learning to live outside the comforts of the womb

Midwife Karin Abood reassures that newborns aren’t developmentally capable of following a routine. “We find that most parents get into their own rhythm with their baby,” she adds.

“Babies are born with no circadian rhythms,” explains Karin. “And they tend to be more nocturnal because they’re a newborn mammal, so trying to get a baby into a routine too soon can create unrealistic expectations.”

In terms of safe sleeping, “Baby must always be placed on their back to sleep, with their feet at the bottom of the cot, and only tucked in from their shoulders down,” continues Karin. “If the baby is wrapped, the fabric needs to be breathable so they can regulate their temperature.”

A smoke-free environment is very important, and it’s recommended as part of the Red Nose safe sleep guidance that a baby shares the same bedroom as their parent or carer for the first six months of life.

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