Is there any sound sadder than a crying baby? Whenever we hear one, we feel like we’d do just about anything to make him or her feel better, but sometimes it seems no matter what we do, we just can’t make the weeping stop. Up until now we’ve tried to just power through the usual comforting things, but now, we’ve found a fail-safe technique that works like actual MAGIC.

The technique is called “The Hold,” and Pediatrician Dr. Robert Hamilton is here to demonstrate this incredibly effective method. He demonstrates on a few babies who just got very painful shots, although this technique will work no matter the reason your baby is in hysterics.

First, the doctor picks up the baby so he’s face-down. He turns the baby’s right arm gently over his chest and his left arm over his right, so he’s crossing his little arms.

Dr. Hamilton then holds the baby in one hand by his bottom and very gently grips the babies’ throat with the pointer finger and thumb of his other hand. After a few seconds of a gentle rocking motion, the baby has instantly settled down! Immediately, the baby is quiet and content, even after getting a shot in the leg.

This seriously works like magic!

There are a few subtleties to “The Hold” that really make this the most effective technique, but you’ll have to watch Dr. Hamilton’s quick video below to learn the intricacies of this method. And as any new parents will tell you, that is certainly worth knowing how to calm a crying baby.

What do you think of this technique? Do you have another surefire way to get your baby to calm down? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.