1. Swaddle your baby tightly. This may take several attempts if he/she is very frustrated, but if the baby is not swaddled in a tight way, the rest simply will not work.
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2. Pick up your swaddled baby and rock/swing him/her vigorously. Make sure to hold your baby tightly to your chest so that there's no risk of dropping her/him, but you must make the swinging motion vigorous!
3. Make loud white noise! You can "shush", turn on a vacuum, turn on the blow dryer, or turn on another similar electronic. The key is that it is loud and constant. Continue until the screaming slows down and the baby seems to be getting at least a little bit calmer.
4. Once the baby shows signs of becoming a litte calmer, either give him/her a pacifier, or nurse your baby. Make sure you wait until the baby is calmed down a bit, otherwise the pacifier won't help, and the baby may not even accept it.
5. Once the baby has calmed down and is sucking on the pacifier, hold him/her a little bit longer before you move on to your next activity. If the baby starts screaming again after putting him/her down, be aware that there may be another problem, such as illness.
Stay calm! If you're not calm, you will not be able to follow the steps correctly. Don't give up! This may take 2-3 tries, but it WILL work, if you do it correctly. If you feel you are losing control of your emotions, place the baby in a safe place (such as a crib) and walk away from the room to a place where you can gather your bearings and calm down. Your baby needs you at your best, andy ou will be much more effective if you feel like you have some sense of control.
