The white (noise) stuff

"We spent hours trying to figure out what would comfort our colicky first daughter. We finally discovered that when we swaddled her tightly and walked back and forth on the front porch while it was raining, she would stop crying and go right to sleep. Luckily she was born in March, so we had a lot of rain!"
Julie Cowles, Topeka, KS

"My daughter loved the sound of water. When she was an infant, I would put her in the infant seat and turn on the shower. It worked like a charm! She also liked listening to the bubbles in our Jacuzzi tub. It was a great way to calm her down and lull her to sleep, while I took a much-needed, relaxing bath."
Jackie Brehm Edmondson, Glencoe, AL

"Our colicky baby instantly fell asleep one day when I was blow-drying my hair. Since we couldn't run a vacuum or blow-dryer all night, I bought a For Crying Out Loud! CD of white noise that includes the sounds of a vacuum, a blow-dryer, car wipers and rain, a washing machine, and waves on a beach. It saved our sanity, and from then on we all slept like babies!"
Janet Gibson, Alma, MI

"White noise works!"
Melissa Prince, Long Beach, CA

Cuddle buddies

"For both of my kids, I turn off all other distractions, including the radio, TV, and telephone, and cuddle while walking around and softly talking to them. I think it's knowing they have all my attention, which is what they really want, that calms them down."
Kristi Vasquez, Port Royal, SC

"Anytime my daughter is fussy, all she needs is a good cuddle and rock and she'll fall asleep or coo happily."
Lizzie Roscoe, Villa Park, IL

"Lots of cuddles works best. Most of the time they just want more 'mommy time,' and I'm happy to give it to them."
Mia Musciano-Howard, Fayetteville, GA

"Just add water. During the fussiest hours, I find that a bath really helps. Sometimes I bring her into the bath with me, which lets us both calm down and relax."
Leesa Chalk Suzman, Scarsdale, NY

"With my little girl, I devote my attention entirely to her, giving her a minute to feel secure and loved. It doesn't take long before she's ready to wiggle free to pursue her own explorations again."
Nicholle Hansel-Middleman, St. Louis, MO