Baby with colic? High needs baby, crying baby, unsettled baby? Fussy baby? How do I soothe my crying baby? Baby not sleeping, helping my baby sleep, sleep deprived parents…

I could go on, but really it does not matter. Regardless of what label you put on it, or how you shape the question, this issue is the same. A fussy, crying baby is extremely common and for parents, this is hard, hard, hard.

Infact, infant irritability (excessive crying, colic, being unsettled) and sleep problems (difficulty settling, will not sleep, short sleeps) are two of the most common issues for which parents seek advice from their health professional. Almost all babies will have unsettled behavior at some stage and this presents an exhausting challenge for parents. Even so called ‘good sleepers’ will have fussy times. It’s true that if you are a parent pacing the floor with a crying baby, you are definitely not alone!

So how can we help? What do parents of fussy babies need? As a Pediatrician and father of four children all of whom cried alot as babies, I believe parents need uplifting reassurance as well as expert information. When it comes to matters of unsettled babies, there is much to be said and a wealth of useful (and not so useful) information to be sought. In fact, sometimes there is too much information! Complicated, contradictory and judgmental information. And so I have set myself a challenge…

To blog as many issues to do with sleeping, crying and fussiness as I can think of! Simple, clear, credible and relevant blogs just for parents. Here’s my list so far (but please let me know what you want to know):

·         Crying and colic (the causes of crying; controlled crying; myths about fussiness; excessive crying; managing colic…)

·         Settling issues (settling and burping; safe sleeping)

·         Sleep solutions (using a dummy or pacifier; crying babies and medication; settling a baby with sound, white noise, lullabies; swaddling a fussy baby)

·         Baby sleep information (your baby’s tired signs; baby sleep patterns; sleeping through the night; how much sleep is needed?)

·         Help for tired parents (crying and parental guilt; reassurance; parents intuition)

How’s that for a start? Pretty good, I think! Parents of fussy babies, watch this space for Dr Harry’s Crying Baby Chronicles!