1. Does the diaper need changing?
2. Does the baby want a diaper?
3. Does the baby want to be held?
4. Maybe some clothing is uncomfortable for it?
5. Does the baby need to be burped?
6.
etc.
Walk through the list until something works or until the baby + you pass out. If you spend 2-5 minutes on each item it'll take maybe 20-30 minutes to go through it.
If it doesn't work the first time (and you haven't thought of / noticed anything else while going through the list...) then do it again.
It feels good to have a plan, it gives you something to do that might help, and for those occasions when nothing works it at least helps pass the time :)
7. Is the baby hungry? 8. Is it too cold/too hot for the baby? 9. Does the baby have a rash in the diaper area? 10. Could the baby be teething (may start earlier than 6 months in)?
I agree, it's good to memorize or even write down these things. Over time, one learns to move quickly through that list, and which items are more likely at what time.
(RE 8. it's easy to worry so much about the baby having it warm that you end up overheating it.)
Well, the reason to list those steps in the first place is because in between changing diapers, clothes and room temperature, one can actually forget about giving the baby a bottle. I know I did a few times :).
(It's easier now; mine is 8.5 m.o. and we've finally settled into a proper feeding rhythm, so we know when to give food by looking at the time.)
For no apparent reason ... sigh
Are you using any resources that you'd care to share?