if I let my baby cry?

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My baby is 9 weeks old nearly. Is miserable and cries unless held. He's been crying for the past two hours on and off and if I put him down he is hysterical.

I have a Christmas lunch with family at 3. I have to start getting ready soon but don't know what to do. I need to shower, do my hair, my makeup etc.

Is it ok to just put him down and let him cry? My bloody sling has broken, now of all times and I'm close to tears because it hurts to let him cry. Not sure if it's an evolutionary thing but listening to your baby cry and doing nothing is so unnatural.

How does one cope in this position? :(

I completely understand - dd’s cries (wails) as a baby provoked a really strong response in me, physically and mentally. You have my sympathies, it’s so, so hard

In reality he will be fine, do what you need to but keep him close by (bouncer or car seat if you have to) and keep up the reassuring talking and singing.

The sound of the shower and hairdryer used to calm dd somewhat.

Are you there on your own? I'd have a quick shower and let him cry for 20 mins if I were you.

Thanks both.

@Soiree I'm here on my own. It's awful I just feel so bad. He cries all day and it's so exhausting.

Put him a bouncy chair in the bathroom with you and chat to him while you do it, it won't hurt him.

You put the baby down somewhere safe and go and have a quick shower.

He won't come to any harm from crying for a bit. When did he last have a nap? If you have ruled out hunger/coldness/tiredness/pain then actually it's just a baby crying because they don't know what else to do.

DC2 was a really clingy whingey baby and pretty much lived in a sling for the first 4 months. Sometimes they were left to cry for 5 minutes because I had to deal with their older sibling more urgently. At 6 months old they are a lovely happy baby who you would never think used to scream the second I put them down or gave them to anyone else to hold. Leaving them to cry for a bit sometimes definitely hasn't done any harm.

Hang in there, at 9 weeks you are at peak awfulness of newborn stage, it will start getting better over the next few weeks.

Put him in his cot and go for a shower. He’ll be fine.

I’d probably use a bouncy chair in the bathroom so you can sing to him and he can still see you. I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving him to cry alone in case he was sick.

And cornett the white noise of a hairdryer/vacuum can often have a soothing effect on babies. I remember getting the vacuum out on a number of occassions with DC2 in the early days.

Then I found a you tube video of white noise and used that instead. Became the only way DC2 would sleep not on me at around 7-10 weeks

and as cornett* says

Argh when is mumsnet going to fix this annoying slow/sticky text box issue. I keep losing half my posts!

Just think op, many mums with crying babies also have older children to deal with...so they will have no choice but to put baby down somewhere safe whilst they prepare food for older dc, bath them, help with homework, dress them etc.

It's upsetting but 15 minutes whilst you have a quick shower and put some clothes isn't the end of the world...put him somewhere where you can see him. You are doing your best.