The New Mom Handbook

1. Welcome, New Mom
2. The First Weeks: What Is Normal
3. Feeding: Breast, Bottle or Both
4. Safe Sleep and Surviving the Nights
5. Crying, Soothing and Hard Evenings
6. Month by Month: Growth, Play and Connection
7. Health, Checkups and When to Call
8. Starting Solid Foods
9. Taking Care of You
10. Your First Birthday Together

All babies cry. It is their only way to tell you something, and sometimes they cry even when every need has been met. That can be one of the hardest parts of new parenthood, especially in the late afternoon and evening, when many babies seem fussiest. When your baby cries, run through this list calmly, one item at a time: Long periods of crying can make even the calmest person feel angry, desperate or helpless. Those feelings are human. What matters is what you do with them. Never shake a baby. Shaking can cause serious brain injury or death. Make sure everyone who cares for your baby knows this. Contact a doctor promptly if crying is unusual for your baby, such as very high-pitched, weak, or continuous for hours and nothing helps, or if it comes with fever, vomiting, refusing feeds, fewer wet nappies, breathing difficulty, unusual floppiness or drowsiness, or a rash. Trust your instinct: you know your baby. If something feels wrong, get it checked. Some babies cry for long periods without a clear cause, often in the evening, during the early months. This is sometimes called colic. It is exhausting, but in otherwise healthy babies it usually improves with time. Talk to your doctor to rule out other causes and get support; do not change your baby's milk or give remedies without professional advice.