Moms on Call Soothing Technique

This is a guest blog post written by Laura Hunter, LPN, and Jennifer Walker, RN, BSN, Co-Founders of Moms on Call. Who says that babies and toddlers don’t come with instructions? Moms on Call has helped over 750,000 families sleep more than 8.5 million hours a night (and counting)! Moms on Call does this by equipping parents with trusted resources and practical guidance to navigate their child’s first four years with confidence, clarity, and better sleep.

When your baby is just an infant, they may be transitioning to a new environment, adjusting their circadian rhythm, or just fussy for no reason. The Moms on Call soothing technique can help give your child the tools they need to learn to soothe themselves back to sleep.

More often than not, there will be times when your baby falls asleep but does not stay asleep, and that's perfectly normal. In this post, we'll share our resources to help you and your baby learn how to make these early wake-ups and nights a whole lot easier. These tools will help you, as a parent, get more sleep too, and teach you the ways to increase the amount of time the baby is sleeping.

What is Soothing?

Soothing means to please or to bring comfort to something by giving attention, reassurance, and concern (Source, Webster). Learning how to soothe your baby when they are upset is essential for building great sleep habits and can work wonders to transform both naps and overnight sleep.

How do we do it?

Perfect our swaddle technique (For babies under 12 weeks of age and 12 lbs)

A perfect swaddle can make all the difference in the world for your baby's sleep!
The Moms on Call swaddle technique and blanket (which is specific to the technique) for babies under 12 weeks of age and 12 lbs provides the perfectly snug environment the baby needs. In the video below, we'll demonstrate the swaddle technique for you to see.

The Baby Ferris Wheel

To help soothe a baby under 12 weeks of age and 12 lbs, use this technique to begin soothing while they are swaddled. The Baby Ferris Wheel can be used for getting babies down for a nap and settling them right before nighttime sleep. Some have said it works miracles for their little ones.

Infant Sleep Cycles

All humans go through sleep cycles during sleep, but most adults don't even notice these happening because they transition seamlessly through the sleep cycles. However, for a baby, they will typically wake in the following increments:

30-40 mins into a nap
Every 2-3 hours during the night

The good news about these cycles is that there is usually another stretch of sleep in them! They are simply experiencing something called “Twilight Sleep”. This is when they become more alert and aware during their sleep cycle, and often they can wake themselves.

So, when do we soothe?

2~3 months of age
If your baby has cried consistently for 5 minutes (or whatever amount of time you are comfortable with), then we recommend the following soothing sequence:

Check your swaddle and re-swaddle or adjust as needed.
Shush and rub their belly or gently jiggle.
Give them their pacifier.
Leave the room, and give the baby a few minutes to soothe themselves.
Repeat 2 more times, giving the baby their space each time.
If we make it to the third time, go ahead and offer a feed.

Go into the baby’s room with as minimal light and distraction as possible and get back out quickly (and safely) to help them learn to put themselves back to sleep.

The best part

These soothing techniques will not be needed every single sleep cycle, as your baby will begin connecting their sleep cycles on their own and stretching out their sleep.
As your baby begins to learn to soothe on their own, they will begin to connect their sleep cycles and stretch out their sleep.
Laura and Jennifer walk you through this soothing technique step-by-step in our Baby Basics Soothing Video.

Consistency is key

As you've learned in life already, persistence and consistency are the most important things to remember when working on sleep with your baby. Sleep miracles may not happen overnight (or even over a few nights), but with dedication and focus, you'll be able to teach your baby some amazing sleep skills that they will continue to use throughout their lifetime.

What's worked for you?

Have you used our soothing technique with your little one? How did it go? Let us know in the comments below!

Laura is a mother of five, a pediatric nurse with over 25 years of experience, an entrepreneur, an author, a public speaker, and a highly sought-after infant-care consultant who has an international following. But there’s one common passion for all the areas of Laura’s life— her desire to inspire and encourage parents.

Jennifer has multiple roles—wife, mother of three, pediatric nurse, public speaker, infant, toddler care consultant, and author. Jennifer has over 25 years of pediatric nursing experience and has the heart to equip parents with practical advice and inspiration for the joys and challenges of parenthood.