Top 5 Tips for Calming Your Newborn Baby
How I calm fussy babies in my studio and how you can do it at home, too!
One of the biggest surprises of new parenthood is realizing that even when you think you know babies, your own baby may still completely humble you.
I have spent more than a decade soothing, wrapping, and posing newborns in my Durango photography studio. Couple that with my experience a mom to a challenging newborn and I’ve picked up a lot of tricks along the way!
My son was intense from the very beginning.
He struggled with nursing and latching, rarely slept unless he was being held, and every attempt to lay him down in his bassinet often ended with him fully awake and crying again within minutes.
Like many new parents, I was exhausted.
What finally helped us was learning the 5 S’s method, introduced by The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp.
That approach became a turning point in our home—and it is something I still use in my newborn studio sessions today.
What Are the 5 S’s for Calming a Newborn?
The 5 S’s are simple soothing techniques designed to recreate the comfort babies felt in the womb.
They include:
swaddling
sucking on a pacifier if parents allow
swinging
side positioning
shushing
When used together, they can be incredibly effective for helping babies settle—both during portraits and at home.
1. Swaddle: Why Wrapping Helps Babies Feel Secure
Swaddling is often the first and most effective calming step during a newborn session.
A snug wrap helps babies feel:
secure
contained
warm
less startled by sudden movements
In my studio, wrapping often immediately calms babies who are unsettled—as long as hunger and diaper needs have already been addressed.
Safe swaddling matters, so I always make sure:
I can fit fingers comfortably around the chest
the neck remains clear of fabric
breathing is unrestricted
circulation stays healthy
A proper swaddle should feel secure without being tight.
For many babies, this alone changes everything.
2. Sucking: Why Pacifiers Help Even If You Don’t Use One at Home
Sucking is deeply soothing for newborns, even when they are not hungry.
Many babies simply want comfort after feeding, and a pacifier often provides that final step toward relaxation.
I always recommend parents bring a pacifier to newborn sessions—even if they do not plan to use one regularly at home.
A pacifier often helps:
settle fussiness
support transitions between poses
encourage sleep
make wrapping and positioning easier
A short session use typically does not interfere with feeding, and many parents are surprised how helpful it becomes.
3. Swinging: Why Gentle Motion Feels Familiar to Babies
Babies spend months constantly moving before birth.
That is why gentle motion often helps them settle so quickly.
Even small rhythmic movement can remind babies of being in the womb.
As a parent, I learned firsthand how powerful this can be.
My own son slept in his baby swing for much of the first three months because motion was the only thing that gave us more than a few minutes of rest at a time.
Sometimes early parenthood is simply survival—and gentle motion can make a huge difference.
In the studio, small, steady movement often helps babies relax enough to transition into posing.
4. Side Positioning: One of the Fastest Ways to Calm a Newborn
Once a baby is wrapped and soothed, holding them on their side often becomes the final calming step.
This is one of the techniques I use most during newborn sessions because it works remarkably well.
Typically, I:
swaddle the baby
offer the pacifier
hold them on their side
gently sway until breathing slows
As babies settle more deeply, they often drift into sleep naturally.
For babies with reflux, side positioning can be especially helpful because lying flat on the back sometimes increases discomfort.
When I notice reflux signs, I adjust positioning immediately and keep baby upright more often.
5. Shushing: Why White Noise Helps Babies Relax
Babies are used to constant sound before birth.
The womb is not quiet—it is actually quite loud.
That is why many newborns settle best with steady background noise.
In my studio, I keep:
white noise
gentle sound machines
soft music
playing throughout the session.
For my own son, the true magic was our vacuum cleaner.
The moment we turned it on, he would instantly calm down.
At 3:00 a.m., I figured the upstairs neighbors would probably prefer vacuum noise over a screaming newborn.
And honestly—it worked.
Why These Techniques Matter During Newborn Photography
A calm baby allows us to move through a session gently and safely.
But beyond photography, these are tools parents can take home and use during those long newborn days.
The first weeks are intense.
There is a reason so many parents feel like they are simply moving hour to hour.
And yet, this stage disappears incredibly fast.
The Newborn Stage Feels Endless—Until It Doesn’t
When you are in the middle of sleepless nights, it feels like it will last forever.
Then suddenly:
the tiny stretches are gone
the chubby cheeks change
the newborn sounds disappear
That is one reason newborn portraits matter so much.
They preserve a stage that feels endless while you are living it—but later feels impossibly short.
Newborn Photography in Durango: Experience Matters
As a Durango newborn photographer, calming babies is part of every session.
Every baby is different.
Some settle instantly.
Some need extra patience.
Some surprise us completely.
The goal is never forcing a session—it is learning your baby’s rhythm and working with it gently.
That is where beautiful images happen.
You can read more about this on Dr. Harvey Karp’s Blog here. Hang in there parents! This is the toughest age but also the sweetest and most fleeting. It will be over before you know it. The days are long, but the years are short! Never has a saying been more true. You think those sleepless nights will never end and then, one day, you look back and can’t believe how fast it has all gone. You will reminisce about those innocent days and those chubby little cheeks and cherish these beautiful, professional portraits for the rest of your days!
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