Babies cry, fuss and refuse to settle for all kinds of reasons. For a new mom it can sometimes seem like an impossible task to calm a fretful baby, but the following tips should lead to a calm happy baby and hopefully a calm happy mom.

Check for the obvious. Babies often cry because of hunger, wetness, wind or discomfort. If she hasn't fed for a while, offer her a feed. If she's just had a feed, try winding her. Check her diaper is clean and that her clothing/bedding/diaper aren't causing some kind of discomfort.

Tune in to your baby. Monitor what stresses her. Some babies cry at certain times of the day, in certain situations, or even in certain rooms in the house. Some can anticipate, and be upset by, a visit to the doctors or the drive to the baby-sitters house at a surprisingly young age. Knowing what is likely to cause stress won't enable you to eliminate it but it will help you to anticipate it and deal with it.

Use distraction. A fussy baby can often be distracted by a favorite toy or book, or by offering a pacifier if you use one. This can be useful short-term solution to take her mind off a specific place or situation she finds disturbing.

Experiment. Some babies find it very calming to be rocked. Some love music, or watching a mobile. Some like complete peace and quiet whilst others need some background noise. Try a few different things until you find what seems to have a calming effect on your baby.

Pay attention to color. Nurseries are often decorated in (or full of toys in) bright primary colors. This is good for stimulating baby, but not very calming. Some experts advise decorating the nursery in neutral colors or calming greens and blues, and saving the bright colors for the areas where baby plays and explores.

Create good routines. It's never easy to get a small baby into routines, but it really will help your baby feel calm if she can start to know what to expect at certain times of the day. If nothing else try to create a regular bath and bedtime routine. A routine leading up to a nap (perhaps feed, diaper change, story, dimly lit room, into the crib) can also be very calming.

Make bath time relaxing. Bath time can be a great wind-down to bedtime. Some baby product companies even produce bubble baths with relaxing elements, such as lavender. A small number of babies don't like water and can actually find bath time stressful. If that's the case, it's perfectly OK to bathe your baby in the morning and avoid a potentially

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