When our little Chiquita was little, we found Dr. Harvey Karp's book/video, The Happiest Baby on the Block, to be an invaluable resource. We watched the video, which focuses primarily on the 5 S's and how to use them to calm a fussy baby. His theory is that these 5 steps, when done in the proper order are effective in "turning on" a calming reflex in the baby. I've included the main points from each "S" chapter as listed on his website {along with my own comments}.
(Here's our little one, as her uncle practices the S's)
Dr. Karp's 5 S's
1. Swaddling…A feeling of pure "wrap"ture
- Swaddling is the cornerstone of calming. It gives
nurturing touch, stops flailing, and focuses your baby's attention
- Swaddling
by itself may not halt crying, rather it prepares babies for the other S's which
do switch off crying
- The two reasons our ancestors stopped
swaddling babies centuries ago
- Six unnecessary concerns parents
have about swaddling
- The most perfect of all swaddles - the
"DUDU" wrap {this is really the BEST swaddle method!}
2.
Side (or, Stomach)… Your baby's "feel-good" position
- How the side and stomach positions can
calm your baby by switching his calming reflex on and his falling reflex (Moro)
off
- Important information about SIDS and your baby's sleeping
position
- The "reverse breast feeding" hold and
other excellent ways to cuddle your baby and soothe his crying
3.
Shhhh…Your baby's favorite soothing sound
- Shhh
triggers your baby's calming reflex
- The wooshing that your
baby heard in your uterus was as loud as a vacuum {and the vacuum itself works great!}
- You must
shhh loudly for it to soothe your crying baby
- Ten machines
that make soothing white noise
4.
Swinging…Moving in rhythm with your baby's needs
- Vigorous
jiggly movement can switch on your baby's calming reflex {your own knees work great!}
- Three
keys to being successful with swinging motion
- Lullabies -
What swinging sounds like when it's put to music
- The "Windshield
Wiper" - A great way to calm your fussy baby when you're tired
- Eight
tricks for turning a swing into your baby's best friend
5.
Sucking…The "icing on the cake"
- Sucking
calms babies by satisfying their hunger and by turning on their calming reflex
- Four
ways to help your baby succeed with pacifiers
- How
to side-stepping six common pacifier problems
- {I was initially againstthe paci but it turned out to be our best friend!}
So if you have a fussy one, or are getting ready to welcome a little one, you can get prepared and educated by checking out Dr. Karp's book, DVD, or maybe even take a class on his methods!
And let us know if the 5 S's worked for you!
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