Imagine your baby’s been fed, burped, diaper changed, and rested, yet her tears keep coming … An inconsolable baby is heartbreaking to hear, and it can create some serious hand-wringing for new parents.

Babies cry for all kinds of reasons, so whether it’s fatigue, overstimulation or colic, here are some tips for soothing your baby’s tears. 

For new moms, it’s practically a rite of passage the first time you endure sympathetic, sometimes glaring, looks from strangers as your baby wails in public. But let’s be honest: a shrieking baby can frazzle even the most patient of us, and it turns out it’s about more than just the noise.

As moms, we want our babies to be healthy and happy, and we strive to protect them from every harmful thing under the sun (including the sun!). But it’s easy (especially with hormones ramping up our instincts) to get a little too protective and make ourselves nuts. Especially when it comes to germs.