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1. The football hold. Drape your baby tummy down over your forearm like a football, baby's neck in the crook of your arm and the diaper region in your hand. Grasp the diaper area firmly in your hand and mildly press the base of the palm of your hand against your baby's tense abdomen.
2. The neck nestle. This is one actually works better for males. Nestle your baby's head on the curvature of your neck, permitting your chin to rest on top of baby's head. Gently push her head to your Adam's apple. Babies hear using the vibration of their skull bones as well as their eardrums. Sing a droning on song, like "Old Man River," in a rich male voice. The vibrations of your voice box and jawbones on your baby's thin skull will oftentimes lull a fussy baby right to sleep. An added magnet of the neck nestle is that your baby would feel the warm air from your nose on her scalp. Seasoned mothers relate that breathing on their babies' faces or heads calms them. Fathers could have a "magic breath" all their own.
3. The front bend. Fussy babies frequently settle better in the bent position as though this relaxes the spinal muscles and hence the whole body. Having your baby facing you, flex baby's legs on your chest, and support her back with one hand and the nape of her neck with the other. When baby is bent in a C positioning, she often settles better and releases more gas. If she squirms in the back-forward position, turn baby around, still bent, and allow her to face forward, leaving her back and head to rest on your chest while holding her outstretched legs over your folded arms.
4. The shoulder ride. About six months a baby's head control has developed adequately so she can sit upright and enjoy riding on your shoulders. Babies appear to like this riding position around five or six months since their hands, head, and back are less confined and they have a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of their world.
5. Select the right baby carrier. Most fathers don't feel comfortable with several of the baby carriers on the market because there are so many straps and buckles for the impatient male. The sling-type carrier works best for men since it is much easier to adjust. It is frustrating to pick up a fussy baby and try to make several adjustments in a carrier that has been previously adjusted to follow your wife's body. This is known as the art of wearing your baby—and it's as significant for fathers to learn as for mothers.
By Athena Goodlight