What Sounds Do Newborn Babies Like?

Newborn babies are just starting to develop their senses. They were able to hear in the womb, mainly muffled noises and consistent rhythmic sounds like their mother's heartbeat. Newborns therefore prefer sounds that mimic the ones they recognize from the womb because those sounds are familiar and make them feel secure.

  1. Your Voice

    • Since your newborn heard a muffled version of your voice before he was born, he prefers the sound of it after he is born. Talk to your baby often, while you are bathing, feeding or changing him, or read him a story before bedtime each night. When he cries, speak to him as you walk toward him, and the sound of your voice will start to soothe him. As soon as he is able, he'll try to turn his head to the direction your voice is coming from.

    Rhythmic Sounds

    • Because your baby heard your heartbeat in the womb, she likes listening to rhythmic sounds that mimic a heartbeat. Wrap a ticking clock in a blanket and place it next to your baby's crib. Or turn on a fan or humidifier, which provides white noise that can also help drown out other sounds. If there is a washing machine or dryer near your baby's room, turning those on at bedtime can help her sleep as well.

    Lullabies

    • Whether you have a CD of soft lullabies or you sing them yourself, these songs can help you comfort your baby and get him to sleep. Loud sounds can startle a baby, so make sure the songs you choose are soft and lilting. If you use a CD, you can set it to play repeatedly to help comfort your baby.

    Specialty CDs

    • You can purchase CDs that contain a variety of sounds to help comfort your baby and help her fall asleep. Some contain an hour of one type of noise, such as a vacuum or a fan, the ocean or even soft lullabies with a mother's heartbeat in the background. Once your baby is used to falling asleep with one particular sound, she'll associate sleep with that sound. The drawback is that if the sound or CD is not available, your baby may be inconsolable.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Stop a Newborn Baby from Crying
      Every healthy newborn baby will cry a lot, and most of them the baby is trying to tell the parent it needs something. The parent who recognizes what the cries mean can fulfill those needs fast and possibly prevent future outbreaks. Instruc
    • How to Soothe a Colicky Infant
      One-fifth of all babies will develop colic, usually around the second and fourth week after birth, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Colic is characterized by long stretches of inconsolable crying, screaming, passing gas, and pulling t
    • How to Cure Diaper Rash
      Although diaper rash is a normal part of babyhood, seeing a baby with a raw red bottom that is the result of a diaper rash is no fun. But fortunately there are several things you can do to limit and treat a diaper rash. Instructions 1