Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

First of all, I find it's a miracle that this even works.

Second of all, I feel SO bad every time I turn it on and feel like I must be doing something wrong that this is the only way to calm my baby.

Like now, for instance... my DS fell asleep in my arms. While putting him in the swing, he woke up and started crying. I know nothing's wrong with him... he just only wants to be held. (the weird thing is... when we go to my brother's or parents' house, he sleeps in ANYTHING through all the noise. When it's just me and him, he only wants me to hold him). So, I turned the vacuum cleaner on and he quieted instantly and is now back asleep.

I tried the Baby Bjorn and he HATES it. I also don't necessarily want to start a habit where he's used to being carried around.

I read that as long as the baby doesn't have a wet or poopie diaper, hungry or have a fever, to let him cry/communicate so that we don't start a habit of him only being able to fall asleep in mommy's arms. But I feel terrible to just let him cry. I also don't want him to have lifelong stock in Hoover as the only way he can fall asleep!

Any tips?

I should also add that my DS still has the fussiness/crying/colicky episodes due to intense stomach pains, despite being on Nutramigen and now, Zantac. He had a terrible bout last night. Hearing him cry so much is why as soon as I hear him start crying - even if I know it's just because he wants to be held - I feel like I have to stop it somehow. My poor little guy does enough crying! I hear crying in my ears even when he's NOT crying!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Try a white noise machine.

I have the sleep giraffe. Best $20ish I spent on DS.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

A white noise machine will help. We use the Homedics one with a projector..

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

I Vaccum was a god send when dd was little. dd had colic and would scream for hours. Once I discovered the.vacuum I used it all time until she was about 5 months. I tried noise machines it didn't work. I think if its not broken don't fix it.

Message edited 9/27/2011 4:43:56 PM.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

This may just be trading and apple for an orange but the blow dryer also worked for my DD.
It's smaller and easier to use than the vacuum!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

You can buy a CD that has vacuum sounds on it - it might help with your problem and not wear out your vacuum cleaner. I also use white noise.com and that works great.

How old is your baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

simplenoise.com. It is free and plays white noise. I use it for my DS still to this day. They also have links you can download the sound to have on your ipod.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

i used the vacuum when DD was a baby. it was a miracle. i did the same thing as you...i would turn it on when she woke up and she would go back to sleep. we used it alot for her 6 pm witching hour too. i was so afraid of dying out my Dyson motor. it gets better. i say the first few months are survival mode. you do what you gotta do. eventually they will learn (or you teach them) to fall asleep on their own. hang in there!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

I could have written this myself 2 years ago. I can only offer this...elecare was the formula that worked, along with prevacid. Nutramigen and zantac didnt cut it for us! I ran the vacuum CONSTANTLY. Also, you can try running the faucet. Sounds crazy, but it woked sometimes!

Oh...and at almost 2...my child is afraid of the vacuum...ironic, huh???

Good luck..it gets better:)

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

the vac does the opposite for ava. it makes dd go insane. she hates it.

i did running water sound to help calm her.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

He is soothed by white noise. Since your house is prob clean by now, try:

-bathroom fan
-running the shower
-running the hairdryer
-running faucet
-dustbuster (smaller, more managable)
-sleep sheep
-white noise machine
-holding close and saying "shhhhhh" in his ear. specifically, swaddle him, turn him on his side and swish him back and forth while making the noise. sounds crazy but don't judge til you try it

good luck!!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

also, your screenname (is that the right word?) is adorable. using initials is pretty far from witty!!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Posted by SRM12
saying "shhhhhh" in his ear. specifically, swaddle him, turn him on his side and swish him back and forth while making the noise. sounds crazy but don't judge til you try it

good luck!!

Message edited 9/27/2011 10:12:53 PM.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Posted by cds58019

Posted by teaforthree



I read that as long as the baby doesn't have a wet or poopie diaper, hungry or have a fever, to let him cry/communicate so that we don't start a habit of him only being able to fall asleep in mommy's arms. But I feel terrible to just let him cry. I also don't want him to have lifelong stock in Hoover as the only way he can fall asleep!

While that is true it applies more to babies who are older. If Im correct your little guy is about a month give or take? I think thats still too young to be letting him CIO, but thats my opinion.

Hope it gets better for you both soon!

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Thank you all.

I bought The Happiest Baby on the Block and joke that my baby keeps the Happiest Baby on the Block awake with his screaming.

If I don't laugh, I'll cry. Oh wait... I do that, too!

DS is 6weeks old... I'm officially sick of the shhhhh sound!

Message edited 9/28/2011 3:30:55 AM.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

We relied on the vacuum- it was the thing that calmed our DS at first. But, we didn't want to wear it out (or our electric bill) so we downloaded a vacuum noise to DH's Ipod.

The only way DS slept at that age was swaddled, in his swing, with the Ipod dock nearby, playing the vacuum noise on repeat.

For the first 12 weeks, you do whatever you do to get them to sleep, you won't start any permanent bad habits if you have them sleep on you, in a swing, carseat, etc.

It does sound like your DS may have a real gastro issue, I would have his poop checked for an allergy. HTH! I remember how hard it was in the beginning....it seemed like I was in the middle of a nightmare...but it will get better...

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

If your DC is still suffering from gastro issues you should insist that your ped writes a prescirption to put him on elecare at this point. It was the ONLY thing that helped my son. He would cry for every feeding, spit up constantly, refused to let me put him down, couldnt sleep unless I held him, etc. We tried everything..Similac sensitive, Alimentum, Neutramigen, soy, zantac, prevacid, every rocker/swing/bouncer we could find...the day he started on the Elecare he was like a different baby!

We also use a sound machine (the Homedics one with the projector) which has helped him sleep.

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Re: Does anyone else constantly rely on the vacuum cleaner to calm their baby?

Posted by cds58019

Posted by teaforthree



I read that as long as the baby doesn't have a wet or poopie diaper, hungry or have a fever, to let him cry/communicate so that we don't start a habit of him only being able to fall asleep in mommy's arms. But I feel terrible to just let him cry. I also don't want him to have lifelong stock in Hoover as the only way he can fall asleep!

While that is true it applies more to babies who are older. If Im correct your little guy is about a month give or take? I think thats still too young to be letting him CIO, but thats my opinion.

Hope it gets better for you both soon!