The Happiest Baby on the Block

Has anyone else out there heard of the book or the DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Karp?  He is like the baby whisperer.  I learned about this gem while working at The Child and Family Support Center as a Home Visitor/Parent Educator.  Luckily for me I was pregnant and also had pregnant clients so we learned about the 5 S's together.  And lucky for you, I will share the magic of the 5 S's.  The DVD is better because it actually shows him doing these techniques on little crying babies and it ACTUALLY WORKS!  He is a miracle worker I tell ya.  The DVD is a little pricey so I wonder if you could check it out at a local library.  I would recommend it if you have a little baby that cries a lot or if you are pregnant and you want some helpful resources for when your soon to be baby won't stop crying.  So this reminded me of a time when Henry was about 2 weeks old and he was just sad and crying and it felt like we had tried everything.  Well turns out we did everything EXCEPT check his diaper.  The poor little guy had been sitting in a wet/dirty diaper for probably an hour.  Sometimes its something so simple that will stop the constant crying.  The 5 S's will come in handy when the "cure" isn't so simple.  

The 5 steps to a calm baby {I'm taking this word for word from the book The Happiest Baby on the Block} The book includes pictures which is helpful.  

The 1st "S"-- Swaddling:
Don't worry if your baby's first reaction to wrapping is to struggle against it.  Swaddling may not instantly calm her fussies but it will restrain her uncontrolled flailing so she can pay attention to the next "S" that will turn-on her calming reflex and guide her into sweet serenity! 

The 2nd "S"-- Side/Stomach:
The more upset your baby is, the unhappier she will be on her back.  Rolling your infant onto her side or stomach will make her much more serene.  Just this simple trick can sometimes activate a baby's calming reflex... within seconds. 

The 3rd "S"-- Shhhh
Shushing crying babies magically makes them feel at peace and back home, but you've got to do it about as loud as your baby's crying and close to her ear...or she won't even notice it.  Use this super-effective "S" to keep her calm throughout her fussy period by using a radio tuned to loud static, a tape recording of your hair dryer, or a white noise machine.  {I'm sure not many of us out there have a tape recorder anymore!  Old School! I have an app on my iphone that plays all sorts of noises like white noise, the ocean and even a hair dryer!}

The 4th "S"-- Swinging
Like vigorous shushing, energetic jiggling can turn your baby from screams to sweet serenity in minutes...or less.  As you support your baby's head and neck, wiggle her head with fast, tiny movements, sort of like you're shivering.  Once she's entranced you can move her swaddled into a swing for continual, hypnotic motion. Make sure the strap is between your baby's wrapped legs, the swing is fully reclined, and it's set on the fastest speed.  

The 5th "S"-- Sucking
This last "S" usually works best after you have already led your little one into calmness with the other "S's".  Offering her your breast, finger or a pacifier will be the icing on the cake of soothing.  You can teach your baby to keep the pacifier in her mouth by using "reverse psychology"-- the moment she begins to suck on the pacifier, gently tug on it as if you're going to take it out.  She'll suck it in harder and soon she'll learn to keep it in her mouth even when she's cooing.  

There you have it.  Simple right.  Okay maybe not so simple when you actually have a screaming baby.  Just keep calm and remember the "S's".  

Things that worked for Mr. Henry:

• The "shhhh" worked pretty well for him.  You really do have to get right up by their ear and make the "shhh" noise.  Henry would stop crying and look at me like "what is that noise!" 
• Henry also liked the "swinging".  He didn't actually like his swing, but he liked the "energetic jiggling".  I would just put him on my legs and hold his little head and wiggle my legs back and forth.  9 out of 10 times it would put him to sleep.  We had a little rocker chair that would vibrate and Henry loved the vibration.  He slept in that thing a lot.  We would also rock him in his cradle at nap time and at night.   
• I never remembered to do the "side/stomach" but I've seen other babies who love being held like a "football".  I'm sure if I had done it with Henry it would have worked.  I mean most people aren't comfortable lying flat on their back so why would a baby?  I actually like sleeping on my back, but I have to bend my knees.  It's kind of weird.  
• Henry never really learned how to keep a binky in and I even tried the "reverse psychology" when I would try to pull it out.  But it didn't matter because he started sucking his thumb around 3 months old and he would soothe himself. 

Dr. Karp says one of the reasons babies cry is because they are born "too soon".  During a training for work we watched a National Geographic Vide called The Science of Babies and it talked about how babies are born before they are fully developed.  The first few months of life a baby is still considered a fetus.  It is a really cool video, and I found it online so you can all watch it too!  Don't you just love educational videos.  I will warn you that some parts are a little hard to watch, at least they were for me.  Especially the part when a baby is born and isn't breathing! Scary.... but I will ruin it for you and say the baby is just fine!  So you don't have to worry when you watch it.  

Henry sleeping on my legs after I "jiggled" him to sleep.  He fell asleep like this a lot in the first few months!  I miss him being that little and just sleeping all the time.  What a fun stage {but also really hard too!}

Can we all agree that Henry has luscious lips.  Very kissable!

Here is a picture I took with my phone of the 5 "S's".  Not the best, but the text is what I already typed for you.  The pictures might be helpful.