Let’s face it: Before this kid was born, you had no idea that babies were so clueless about how to relax. Well, now you know. Your new roommate would like nothing more than to get back in the confines of the womb and forget this whole “birth” thing ever happened.
If there is one piece of advice I would give new mothers in their baby’s first month of life, it is to watch The Happiest Baby On The Block. Due to the convincing presentation on DVD of Dr. Harvey Karp, we are both big believers in the 5 S’s of the Happiest Baby on the Block – if you don’t have time for a book (and who does?), take the time for the InstantVideo or DVD!
If you watched it before baby was born, watch it again now. According to Dr. Karp, the tools you need are:
- Swaddle
- Sideways/ stomach
- Shush/ white noise
- Swing/ jiggle
- Suck
Both Julian and Holden were swaddled for sleep, per Dr. Karp’s specific instructions, beyond their 3-month birthdays. Julian was held on his side and jiggled by every visitor who we trained on this technique. Update: at 17 and 11 months old, they both still sleep with white noise on for every snooze they take. It works!
Try it. You’ll like it.
I am the BIGGEST advocate for “The Happiest Baby on the Block” materials. Dr. Karp should pay me a commission for how much I promote him and his 5 s’s! I totally agree with you – my baby, now 7 months, was tightly swaddled for about 4 months and slept so soundly. We also figured out that white noise hairdryer sound was the way to go! After I read the book and watched the DVD, my baby was sleeping through the night at just over 2 months old.
There would not have been survival with out Dr. Karp and his 5 S’s! Kayden was swaddled, I think (who has a memory anymore?) until 4 months. Per Whitney’s recommendation, Kayden also still sleeps with her white noise machine.
We have been absolutely delighted by the techniques that Dr. Karp suggested. They are easy to implement and difference in calming Caleo down is instantaneous. We wholeheartedly recommend the DVD, which quickly shows you the techniques. We have a humidifier that produces some groovy white noise too. Check out Dr. Karp’s reviews on Amazon, you’ll be blown away.
I agree that this book is great! However, I found the CDs of white noise that he sells to be really overpriced (I think $13 plus shipping).
We got a bunch of MP3 downloads of different white noises from www.BabySleepSound.com – each just $3.99 and the download was instant, with no shipping and handling! I must sound like I’m a walking commercial for the website, because I have no doubt that these sounds are what taught my daughter to sleep through the night so early, and what saved me from some serious sleep-deprivation. I tell all my friends about them, and have given CDs that I bought from the website as baby shower gifts to several friends, who have all raved about them too.
This book is great! To save money, I recommend just buying your white noise from another source.
My husband and I have also been huge users and advocates if THBOTB. In the first month, I think I made every visitor, and certainly every baby-sitter watch it with me. Best.DVD.Ever.
Harvey Karp rocks! The 5 S’s saved us. The first time we tried it, after nothing else worked, we really couldn’t believe how instantly our baby stopped crying. We ended up swaddling until 6 1/2 months because she slept better (and longer!) that way. I can’t recommend this DVD and the 5 S’s enough!
The 5 S’s work for me too for calming baby down! I have some questions, though for those of you who are 5 S’s experts:
– How long do you keep doing it? Until baby falls asleep? Closes his eyes? Or, do you put baby down when his eyes are still open but getting sleepy?
– Do you keep doing it when you put baby in crib? Or, can you just walk away?
– Do you do the 5 S’s even if baby is not crying to relax him before the nap?
Thanks!!!
Hi Jessica — sorta depends on how old your baby is. Let’s assume within the first three months.
– We’d do everything until the baby was calm, not asleep..
– We would slowly lower him making shushing noises as long as we could, sometimes walking away and “fading out” the shushing
– We always swaddled, but the rest was only when he was really upset
I’d say that was pretty much true for both little guys. But all babies are like snowflakes, right?