Parenthood’s difficult questions: Experts Chris Minogue and Jo Ryan answer

Becoming a new parent brings with it questions we never thought we’d ask. From the curious (why is my baby’s poo that colour?!), to the concerning (why won’t my baby stop crying?), parenthood opens up a world of new challenges. But there’s no reason to go it alone.

Babyology’s Chris Minogue and Jo Ryan are two experts who bring with them decades of experience to give new parents the answers they need to thrive.

In the lead-up to the Bump and Baby: The Fourth Trimester online event, which both Chris and Jo will be participating in, they agreed to chat about a couple of little known facts about the work they do, to give parents an idea of what to expect from our experts during our online event.

What’s the most difficult question you get from parents? 

Chris says: All the mixed messaging can be hard for parents, but I find the most difficult question I get is when someone asks to settle a baby without any crying. We try to help parents to understand that crying in young babies is a way of communicating. It’s their baby’s way of getting their caregivers to come to them and help them. I feel this approach somehow gets mistaken for ‘controlled crying’, which is a very different thing.

Jo says: I get asked a lot, “How long will it take to get my baby sleeping through the night?” or “Can you guarantee this will work?” It’s so hard to answer! I have to explain that when we are dealing with little humans, we can’t predict and can’t guarantee, but we can give ballpark stats on what to expect. It’s more about me arming parents with some tools and some knowledge about how babies work and what they need.

What’s the greatest misconception about what you do?

Chris says: People think that when they get in contact with a parent consultant that it is all about hard sleep practise and that the whole thing will end in ‘controlled crying’, which is far from what happens. A lot of what we do is problem solving with age-appropriate behaviours. We are often there to listen, and work with a family in supporting them to feel more confident in their parenting.

Jo says: People think we are all hard-care, cry-it-out, matron-like people! What I do is very gentle. I always listen to what the parents want. I never just tell parents what to do, it is definitely a collaboration.

About Chris Minogue

Chris is a mothercraft nurse and antenatal educator with over 30 years of experience in providing care and support for parents of newborns, infants and toddlers. She is an expert in sleeping, settling, travelling with babies and feeding, and the author of the book, Bringing Baby Home. 

About Jo Ryan

Jo worked as a registered nurse for nearly 20 years, with most of that time spent in paediatrics. She also worked as a full-time nanny in Australia and overseas. Jo also holds a Masters of Public Health, studying the health and wellbeing of women and their children in a public health context, focusing on the levels of support available to mothers of young infants within the community.

Jo developed the BabyBliss Sleep Support Program, based on her work that has helped thousands of families sleep better. Backed by tried and tested methods, the BabyBliss Sleep Support program teaches gentle and effective sleep techniques that really work.

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Join the Bump and Baby: The Fourth Trimester online event! With live expert sessions, FREE newborn routine guide & the chance to WIN a $500 Nursery gift voucher. Click here to find out more and make sure you don’t miss a thing!