It's upsetting to listen to your baby cry, but that's what Mother Nature intended. The more distressing the cry, the harder you'll try to make it stop. You can feed a hungry baby or change a wet one. Luckily, there are also some techniques and tricks to try for those times when your baby just needs to be soothed.

You'll want to experiment to find what's best for your baby. But give each one a try for at least 10 minutes or so before deciding it's not going to work. Sometimes trying one thing after another can over-stimulate rather than calm a baby.

Tips and techniques
Sometimes comforting isn’t so easy. For soothing an upset infant who isn’t hungry, the oldest trick in the book is to rhythmically rock your child in your arms while cooing or shushing.

Lift your baby out of her cradle or infant seat whenever she cries. Sometimes that's all it takes. Holding her close and walking or rocking her may be effective. If your arms get tired, you can put her in a front carrier or sling. That way, her ear is against your soothing heartbeat and your hands are free. While holding baby, you also might try a gentle massage on her back or stomach.

If you’re exhausted, let an automated baby swing or bouncer seat take over while you offer reassuring words. Baby swings come in wind-up or battery-operated versions. When making your choice, try to evaluate how easy it will be for you to take the baby in and out of the swing. You may want to look for a model that doesn’t make too much noise, which might wake a sleeping baby. Another consideration is convertibility—the swing may become a high chair, for example, or fold up to be stored when not in use.