Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a brain condition that occurs when a baby or young child is violently shaken. This typically happens when an adult is trying to stop the baby crying. Shaken Baby Syndrome is thought to affect between 600 and 1400 children each year in the US, though the true figure is not known.

Babies have weak neck and shoulder muscles, and are unable to fully support their heads for the first few months of life. During this time, babies are at an increased risk of SBS. If a baby is shaken, his head moves forwards and backwards, and the brain bangs against the skull. This can cause bleeding on and around the brain.

Injuries caused by SBS can include:

• blindness
• cerebral palsy
• brain damage
• seizures
• speech or learning disabilities
• paralysis
• deafness

For some babies, Shaken Baby Syndrome can be fatal. You should never shake a baby, and you should make sure that your baby’s other caregivers are aware of the importance of this rule.

What to do when your baby won’t stop crying

Your baby cries to communicate with you. Unfortunately, he’s unable to tell you exactly what he needs and so he relies on his loud cry to draw your attention to the fact that something is wrong. Hunger, discomfort, tiredness, gas and simply wanting a cuddle are all common reasons that babies cry.

A baby’s screams can reach 110 decibels, which is almost as loud as an ambulance siren. What may start off as a whimpering cry, can soon escalate if the baby cannot be soothed. For a parent suffering from exhaustion, loud cries can be very frustrating.

If you cannot stop your baby crying, and can feel yourself becoming frustrated, you should put your baby down somewhere safe, such as cot or car seat, and leave the room. This won’t stop your baby crying, but it will give you a few minutes to yourself. Put some music on, watch the television or use the vacuum to distract yourself from the sound of crying. Make sure you can still hear the crying in the background though, because if it stops suddenly, you’ll need to go and check on your baby. Use this time to calm down, breathe deeply and remember that your baby is just trying to communicate with you.

Once you are feeling calm, go back to your baby and try again. If your baby is still crying and you feel very stressed by it, call a nearby friend or family member and ask them to come over to help out.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Don’t worry, pregnant readers, this post isn’t aimed at you. The act of giving birth is considered more than useful, so don’t feel you need to take on any further responsibilities in the labour room. No, this article is more for the eyes of any future birth partners, so make sure you send yours a copy.

Being a birth partner is a pretty big deal. Whether you’re the father, a family friend, or about to become  grandma, being a birth partner is an honour. It’s also, however, a pretty big responsibility. It’s impossible to predict how a birth will go, and you won’t know in advance how the mum-to-be will be feeling on the day. Try not to get too worried about the endless possibilities of things you should be doing in the delivery room, and instead focus on the following five ways to make yourself useful during childbirth:

1. Soothe – one of your main roles in the delivery room is to keep the labouring woman calm. Worry, fear and panic need to be as far away from the labour room as possible. Feeling worried can actually stop labour from progressing, so you need to keep the mum-to-be in high spirits. This is no place for jazz hands though, instead go with soothing words, a low voice, and reassuring touches.

2. Cheer – the best homework you can do for labour, is to watch Bring It On a few times. As a birth partner, you are the official cheerleader of the mum-to-be. You’re her coach, her team mate and her cheerleader, all rolled into one. Come with your pompoms at the ready, and have some stock phrases ready to put into action. Tell her she’s doing great, that she’s amazing, and that you’re in awe of her.

3. Help – whatever she needs during labour, it’s your job to do it. Have the layout of the hospital bag memorised in advance, because when she’s screaming mid-contraction for the massage ball, you won’t want to waste another second. Snacks, drinks, ice chips – whatever she needs, you’re her personal butler. When she says her backaches, offer her a massage. If she’s hot, hold a cold water flannel to her head. Just help, in any way you can.

4. Get involved – labour is no time for sitting on the sidelines. You need to be by her side, as much a part of the team as the professional delivering the baby. Use your strength to support her weight so she can try out vertical positions during labour, maximising gravity during the birth. Help her with her breathing, reminding her to use her breathing to stay calm, and even to help focus her strength during the pushing stage.

5. Ask – childbirth can be a bit of a blur, especially for the labouring woman. She may not be conscious of decisions being made, or plans being suggested around her. Of course, the most important thing is that both mother and baby are healthy, but don’t be afraid to ask questions about why certain decisions are being made. Not only will this help the mum-to-be when she asks questions about the birth, and is able to get a full explanation from you, it could also help to remind the healthcare provider of the mum-to-be’s birth plan.

Who have you chosen to be your birth partner, and why?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Preparing to be a father for the first time can be overwhelming. You are about to fall head over heels in love with a person you’ve only just met. Changing dirty nappies, running around the park, first days at school, first dates, growing up – you have it all to come. From the first time you hold your baby in your arms, your life with change – but how can you prepare for something so huge? Here are some ideas:

1. Do your homework – there are hundreds of books on the topic of parenting. You don’t need to read them all, but you may find it useful to read a couple. Ask your partner about books she has enjoyed, or ask any friends or family you feel are good parents to recommend books they found useful as new parents.

2. Speak to fathers – it can be hard to describe what fatherhood is really like, but those best placed to try are fathers. Talk to your friends and family who are fathers, and ask them for advice. They may be able to offer tips and suggestions that could help you, or even let you in on things they wish they’d done differently.

3. Speak to mothers – it’s not just the fathers you need to talk to … get chatting with their partners too. Ask the mothers what makes a good dad, and ask for examples of things to avoid. They may be able to give you tips to make those first few months easier, and even how to ensure you and your child share a loving relationship through to adulthood.

4. Speak to your partner – you won’t be raising this baby alone, so find out what your co-pilot thinks. What will she expect from you, what sort of parents does she want you to be, and what sort of parents does she want to avoid becoming? Be honest about how you both feel, discuss your hopes for the future, and try to work out ways to make them reality.

5. Go to class – antenatal classes aren’t just for pregnant women, they’re just as much designed with you in mind. The classes will teach you the basic of baby care, as well as helping to prepare you for the first few months of fatherhood. If you’re not used to being around babies, those first few weeks can be a bit of a shock, but antenatal classes can help by adjusting your expectations for life with a newborn.

6. Take paternity leave– whether you are able to take paid paternity leave will depend upon which country you live in, but try to organise some time off for immediately after the birth. Time off from work will help you to get to know your newborn, support your wife while she recovers from the birth, and enjoy some time with your new family. Take whatever you can afford off. You won’t regret spending that time with your new baby.

7. Start as you mean to go on – get stuck into being a father. Changes nappies, give cuddles, wear your baby in a sling, and bathe your baby. Your baby could hear your voice in the uterus, and so knows exactly who you are immediately after the birth. It may take a while to find your feet as a father, but learning on the job is the best way to get involved.

How are you preparing to be a father?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

If your due date disappeared without so much as a niggle, you may be wondering when your baby is going to arrive. Since he’s already late, it’s safe to assume he didn’t receive the memo about being born on his due date, so you may want to plan some activities to keep yourself entertained.

The likelihood is that you’re all ready and raring to go, with a fully-decorated nursery, a pile of washed and ironed baby clothes, and a well-stocked changing station. If there isn’t much left to do in the way of organisation, how can you distract yourself from the long days and sleepless nights? Here are a few ideas of things to do:

1. Cook up a storm – you may already have a few meals cooked and stored in the freezer, ready for when baby arrives, but it can’t hurt to make extra. Keep cooking until the freezer is full, that will buy some extra time for cuddles with the baby when he finally arrives.

2. Take naps – napping is a skill that will come in useful when the baby arrives, but there’s no reason you can start early. If you’re struggling to sleep at night, grab a nap during the day.

3. Exercise – there’s no need to give up your exercise routine just because your due date has approached. Keep going to prenatal yoga, keep swimming, and definitely keep walking every day. Not only will this help you to relieve stress, it could help gravity to encourage the baby into a good position for birth.

4. Keep busy – ask friends and family to keep you occupied during these last few days. Pop out for meals, visit friends and watch films at the cinema – make the most of the activities you will find more difficult once baby arrives.

5. Read a book – not a pregnancy book or a parenting book, but a novel. Getting lost in a story may help to pass some time and take your mind off the ticking clock.

6. Have a massage – book yourself in for a pregnancy massage. Pregnancy massage can work wonders for the aches and pains of late pregnancy, and may help you to relax and de-stress.

7. Be honest – ask your friends and family to wait for news rather than ringing/texting/messaging you every 10 minutes to ask for it. Nothing makes time pass slower than the constant reminder that you are overdue. Tell everyone that you’ll let them know as soon as you have any news to share.

8. Baby+ App – download our new Baby App, and read up on many useful articles. Click Baby+ iOS or Baby+ Android to install the App, and prepare for the arrival of your little one(s).

Are you currently overdue? What are you doing to keep busy as you wait for your baby to arrive?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

Motherhood, like pregnancy, is meant to be filled with sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, right? Moms are always happy and filled with joy. After all, motherhood is the best job is the world. Isn’t it?

Erm, no, not always. Sometimes motherhood sucks. Sometimes being a mom is all about being covered in crap, cleaning up puke and listening to babies scream. It’s not always fun or wonderful, like anything else in life, it has its bad days.

It’s perfectly ok for you to not love every minute of motherhood. Singing nursery rhymes and spending hours talking about poop isn’t for everyone. Looking after a baby all day can be tough. The baby can’t talk back, so you may find yourself feeling bored at times. You may also find the repetitive chores of diaper changes and feeds to be tiring sometimes, especially when they seem to fill your entire day.

Here are a few things to try if you feel you’re not enjoying motherhood:

1. Let go of the guilt

There is nothing wrong with not loving motherhood. You’re allowed to have bad days. You’re allowed to have days where you don’t want to change another diaper. You can have days where you’re bored out of your mind. It’s fine, it’s normal. Every mom feels like that sometimes. You don’t need to feel guilty because you’re not a picture of the joyous mom you see represented in the media. You’re a real person, you’re going to have bad days.

2. Talk about it

You don’t need to keep these feelings to yourself. This isn’t a hideous secret you need to take to your grave. In fact, talking about it with friends might just help you to see how normal these feelings are. You’re not a terrible mom, you’re just like everybody else. Speak to your close friends about how you feel, and let your partner in on it too. While your mom friends will be able to reassure you that what you’re feeling is normal, your partner may be able to free up a little me-time for you so you can de-stress.

3. Get out of the house

A change of scenery can do the world of good when you’re having a bad day. If it’s just you and the baby stuck at home all day, getting out of the house might cheer you up. Pack your diaper bag, grab your handbag and head off on an adventure. You could meet up with some mom friends for a coffee or head out for a walk in the countryside. Do whatever you think will lift your mood. You deserve a treat, being a mom isn’t easy, so head out and enjoy yourself.

4. Recognize your triumphs

It’s easy to obsess over your perceived feelings. If you feel like everything is going wrong at the moment, that’s probably more to do with your mood than anything else. When you feel negative, it’s all too easy to only see the negative things around you. Spend some time focusing on the good things in life. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Make a list of all the reasons you’re a great mom and refer to it whenever you’re feeling down.

5. Ask for help

If you’re worried that perhaps the way you’re feeling isn’t normal, you should ask your healthcare provider for advice. Postpartum depression is treatable, but you need to reach out for help before you can get treatment. Nobody will judge you for speaking up, so be honest and ask for help if you think you need it.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re not enjoying motherhood?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.