6 Ways to Tame Tears

Give Baby Something to Suck On

Why it works: In his first few days of life, your baby cries primarily when he's hungry, so he quickly associates sucking with the pleasant sensation of a full belly. And because hunger is one of the main reasons babies cry, you stand a good chance of soothing your baby with a feeding. Even when he's not eager to eat, a baby still has an innate need to suck. One study showed that sucking on a pacifier reliably reduced a baby's distress after an immunization.

Soothing strategies: A feeding may help if your baby's hungry; if not, a pacifier might do the job. Even babies who refuse a pacifier, however, want to suck on something even after they've satisfied their hunger. To avoid overfeeding, offer your little one the corner of her favorite blanket, a teething toy, or her own thumb to suck.