For infants in particular, this method is slightly different. It is suggested that the following strategy is to be used to teach infants how to self soothe, without neglecting the infant. For infants 0 to 3 months, they are too young to self soothe and therefore require soothing by the mother when they are crying. Leaving an infant at this age to self soothe will interrupt the mother-baby bond and could have negative mental health effects on the infant later in life. When the infant is 3 to 4 months, the frequency of crying usually decreases to only when the infant is hungry or needs to be changed. Most infants will create a routine for him and you, as the mother will be able to pick up on their routine quickly. When the baby reaches age 5-6 months, they are ready to begin to learn to self soothe. When allowing the infant to self soothe, remember that it is best not to let the baby cry for more than 6 minutes. You are still able to rock them, gently rub their back/stomach or have ambient noise in the background for them to self soothe. When your child is self-soothing, it is important to ensure that they have a clean, dry diaper, have been recently fed, recently burped, and is not in pain. Once those things are ensured, then the baby is able to self soothe. Another factor to be aware of is; if your infant is crying constantly, you may want to see a health care professional to ensure there is nothing physically wrong with your child. OEYC offers a program of infant massages, which can also help infants with self-soothing (which is the infant version of regulating emotions). For more information on the infant massage program,                  .