Learning from your answers

If your baby is easily distressed or not easily comforted or has sleeping and feeding patterns that vary a lot from day to day, then a caretaking routine is likely to be helpful. This means that each day is structured to follow a similar pattern, and that consistent ways of feeding, soothing, bathing and playing with the baby are used.

This can be difficult when it feels as though nothing is working, but research and health professionals' experience have shown the strategies described in the following sections to be effective. It is important not to label your baby as being "good" or "bad".