Pregnancy and baby news

WhyCry?® - the baby cry analyser
Like all parents, we are fascinated by everything our baby does, so a gadget that claims to interpret each squeak was extremely tempting. The options are actually pretty limited - hungry, tired, bored, stressed and dirty nappy just about covers it, so if you were expecting to discover your baby's grave pronouncements on top-up fees, you're going to be disappointed.

At first glance, it seems like the crying analyser really can make looking after your baby easier. Your baby cries, the analyser tells you why, and you provide whatever is needed. The only problem is that a baby's cry is cleverly designed to take up all your attention, so it doesn't occur to you to consult the machine to find out what's wrong. Also, our baby, Asa, is two months old now and, after many sleepless nights, we now have a good idea what his cries mean.

That said, it is interesting to see how the analyser works and it's reassuring to realise that much of the time he isn't really upset, just a bit bored or tired.

Obviously, a gadget shouldn't replace parents listening to and working out what their baby wants - these are the first 'conversations' you're having with your child and it's important you learn how to listen properly. On the other hand, it's fun seeing if you're guessing right and, besides, Homer Simpson had one, and you couldn't wish for a finer example of parenthood.

WhyCry?® is available direct from Blissful Babies Ltd who can be contacted on 01903 889520 or via their website

£65.99 plus £4.05 insured special delivery