The most important accomplishment here is serenity. Stay calm. Remember you are doing the best you can!

It is easy to succumb to the frustration, but that will only exasperate the situation, as Baby feels your wrath, and it will in turn agitate hers. Generally, we have a tendency to go through the motions; is she hungry, in need of a diaper change, is she tired, does she have gas? When we’ve tried to resolve those options, we tend to ask whether she is sick.

There’s no need to keep checking with the thermometer for a fever, as it would be obvious to the touch if her temperature were abnormally elevated. If of course it is, and you take a reading, then a call to the pediatrician is in order. But most likely she is irritated by a physiological symptom, and all you can do is soothe her with your touch, voice, scent and sight.

When things get really tough, enlist your partner, family or trusty friend to hold and love Baby. And go take a bath or shower. Or take a nap with earplugs. Or go and buy some new shoes.

This is where having a surplus of breast milk really comes in handy. The best thing for you to do is just reset.