Emotional health
Pregnancy
Looking after your own mental health will have a positive impact on the emotional health of your baby during pregnancy and beyond.
Seek support at the earliest opportunity if you (as a parent) are feeling in a low mood or concerned about your mental health including during pregnancy.
From birth
Create a warm, loving, caring and safe environment to promote emotional and social well-being for your child.
Use the Five to Thrive approach - respond, cuddle, relax, play, talk. This will build attachment and support emotional health as you are connecting with your child.
To support your child's self-confidence and self-esteem - let your child know they are special, make them feel valued and respected. Look and listen to them when they talk to you.
Babies are not born able to regulate their emotions and it is natural and normal for your child to experience a variety of emotions - all emotions are okay.
Babies and children need a calm adult to co-regulate with them, to support bringing them back to calm. This action of co-regulation helps the social and emotional part of the brain and is needed to develop and build pathways in the child's brain for self-regulation.
Reassure and support your baby or child by listening, cuddling, responding and staying relaxed.
Crying baby
It's normal for parents to get stressed sometimes, especially by a crying baby. Infant crying is normal and it will stop! Babies start to cry more frequently from around 2 weeks of age. After about 8 weeks of ages babies start to cry less each week. It's okay to walk away if you have checked if baby is safe and the crying is getting to you. Never, ever shake or hurt your baby - it can cause lasting brain damage or death. See ICON resource for advice and support.
Seek support if you as (as a parent) are feeling in a low mood or concerned about your mental health in the post natal period, speak to your midwife or health visitor. You can self refer to the AWP: Wiltshire Talking Therapies (opens new window) ;Being After Baby sessions.
Focus on how your child feels not just on how they behave; let your child know their feelings are important and understood.
Play and explore with your child - be excited, enthusiastic, curious and confident about discovering new things. Take time to have fun and play regularly with your child.
- Wiltshire Family Hubs
- Maternity team - speak to midwife and see Emotional & Mental Wellbeing (opens new window)
- During pregnancy speak to your midwife to see if you are eligible for the Baby Steps programme, also for more information see Parenting courses.
- Ocean Birth Trauma and Loss service (opens new window) - Speak to your midwife or self refer.
- Wiltshire HCRG Care Group: Health Visiting (0 – 4 Years) (opens new window)
- Home-Start provides non-judgmental support, friendship and practical help to families with at least one child under five. Further information can be found at: Home-Start South Wiltshire (opens new window) and Home-Start Kennet (opens new window)
- AWP: Wiltshire Talking Therapies (opens new window) - free mental health support (self-referral)
- See the 'Featured Events' section for the next AWP: Wiltshire Talking Therapies (opens new window) 'Bump to Baby' and ' Well being after Baby' free group sessions
- Support with coping with crying babies - ICON - Advice for professionals (opens new window), ICON - Advice for parents (opens new window)
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