As a new parent, you get a lot of advice, some good, and some, you can just let go in one ear and out the other. A few weeks before Noel was born, I was at my friend's house, and it was time for her 1 1/2 year old to go to bed. He stood at the stairs and waited at 7 PM. She took him up, and was back down stairs with him quietly in his crib at about 7:02 PM. I was stunned! How did she do it? From the day he was born, she used the techniques outlined in The Happiest Baby on the Block and stuck with them.
To "make" a happy baby, just follow the "5 S's" outlined in the book. The author, Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician, bases these principles on what he considers a "missed" 4th trimester, in which a baby's nervous system is not quite ready to be out of the womb, but because of the constraints of a human body, it must be. I know that this might sound a bit confusing, but once you read the book, it will make so much sense!
We incorporated the 5 S's (swaddling, swinging, sucking, shushing, and the side/stomach hold) into Noel's routine while we were still in the hospital. The night he was born, he slept with me, tucked in my hospital gown. When he heard another baby cry, he started to whimper, and I started shushing...he was immediately quiet and went right back to sleep. I knew then that I would be a "Happiest Baby" convert, and I was! Noel slept soundly almost all the time. If ever he would get really upset, we'd use all the S's at once, and he'd calm down! I was in awe of how well these techniques worked to calm him down.
The Happiest Baby on the Block is it. Period. I have told everyone I know about this book since we used it with our son when he was born. If you want to get sleep with your newborn, this is a must read and must use process. I have my Amazing Miracle Blanket (the best swaddling blanket on the market-guaranteed!!!) washed for the hospital, and we are armed and ready to go with the other S's when Lennon arrives. If there is one read for any parents of a newborn, The Happiest Baby on the Block is a MUST READ!
Labels: books, infant care
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3 comments:
good luck laura with your very soon future arrival!!! and boy, could i have ever used this book when my daughter was born!
I haven't read the book, but the 5 S's are something I heard about when I was in high school and working in the church nursery. I still work in the nursery and everyone says "Cara has the magic touch with the crying babies!" and I tell them it's just the 5 S's:) I will definitely be using them with our baby:)
You have a calm and happy boy. Thanks, Dr. Karp.
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