The Discontented Little Baby Book

The Discontented Little Baby Book

'While crying a lot in the first 16 weeks is a normal phenomenon, this should never be confused with the belief that the baby's crying is not a communication of abject misery. Crying is a genuine appeal. Parents know this, in their bones." Dr Pamela Douglas

'While crying a lot in the first 16 weeks is a normal phenomenon, this should never While crying, fussing and night-waking are normal in the first 16 weeks of life, there are things we can do to help our babies become more settled – though there is never any promise of a quick fix. In fact, attempting a quick fix like medications or sleep training might even make matters worse.

Long-time GP and infant feeding expert Dr Pamela Douglas explains that very young babies are biologically hardwired to cry for two reasons that are often seriously misunderstood in our society:
hunger for milk
hunger for a richer sensory experience.

Sorting out underlying problems that are too often not picked up and meeting a young baby's needs for milk or healthy sensory stimulation are the basis of Dr Douglas's -cued care' approach – that is, parenting with the intention to respond sensibly to your baby's needs, as opposed to the philosophy of delayed response that underpins strategies like sleep training, spacing out feeds and controlled comforting or crying.

Dr Douglas has developed and refined a powerful evidence-­based approach to babies' sleep through years of hands‐on experience with families and her internationally published academic research for health professionals. Her work has helped many parents identify reasons behind their baby's discomfort, minimise crying and achieve more restful nights. Once this is done, parents benefit from simple strategies for psychological resilience until the crying period passes. She brings this new approach to the public for the first time in The Discontented Little Baby Book.

With real-life stories, advice on dealing with feelings of anxiety and depression, and answers to your questions about reflux and allergies, The Discontented Little Baby Book heralds a compassionate revolution in baby care.

Dr Pamela Douglas has worked as a GP since 1987, with a special interest in women's health. She is founder of the non-profit organisation Possums for Mothers and Babies, an Associate Professor (Adjunct) at the Centre for Health Practice Innovation at Griffith University, and Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of General Practice at The University of Queensland. For more information on Dr Douglas, please see: www.pameladouglas.com.au.

The Discontented Little Baby Book
University of Queensland Press
Author: Dr Pamela Douglas
ISBN: 9780702253225
RRP: $29.95