Mommy Magic: Soothing Techniques That Work

Surefire Ways to Calm Your Baby

I remember one night when my daughter Lily was just a month old and wouldn't stop crying. When nothing silenced her screams, I took a break from my efforts to soothe her and decided to do laundry. Wailing or not, Lily was on her last bodysuit. I wheeled her bassinet to our laundry area and turned on the washing machine. Minutes later, Lily was quiet. I had no idea why listening to clothes churning had that effect, but I didn't care. I was willing to do laundry for the whole neighborhood if it stopped her piercing howls! And I know I'm not the only mom who'd do anything to calm her fussy child. It's important to remember that crying is your baby's only way of communicating and is perfectly natural, but these wails can be so disconcerting and stressful that they make you want to, well, cry. Luckily, there are plenty of surefire ways to calm your baby. And you don't need much more than her five senses. Here's how.