How to handle difficult days

Becoming a parent is exciting and joyful, and most cherish the memories of the earliest days of their child’s life. At the same time, it is an incredibly demanding time, emotionally and physically. Parents can feel under pressure to be able to deal with everything that arises in caring for a baby.

Crying is the way all babies make sure that their basic needs are met – they may be hungry, thirsty, cold, need a nappy change or just some company. Crying is not your fault or your baby’s fault.

Parents or carers can sometimes become very frustrated when a baby will not stop crying due to colic, illness or feeding difficulties. On average, a baby will cry for at least two hours every day. One in ten babies cry much more than this average and many parents experience a great deal of difficulty managing this.

Ways to cope with a crying baby:

• Gently hug and cuddle your child – using a baby-carrier so that they’re close to your body may help soothe them;
• Use eye contact, smiling and talking to communicate with your baby;
• Take your baby for a walk or a drive to help them sleep;
• If necessary, make sure baby is safe and walk out of the room for a short time, ensuring that you are nearby;
• Count to ten and allow yourself to calm down;
• Ask someone else you trust to take over for a while;
• Contact your public health nurse or community mother for advice;
• Never slap or shake your baby.

Remember: Communicate with your child using eye contact, smiling, cuddling and talking. This will develop your understanding and responsiveness to your baby’s needs when they have difficulties.