Harvey Karp
is the author of the bestselling book, The Happiest Baby on the Block. Karp
offers a simple solution that will calm your newborn and get him to sleep by
re-creating the noise, movement and snug environment of the womb. If you’re a
sleep-deprived new parent, and most of us are, the help that Dr Karp offers for
soothing crying or fussy infants and getting them to sleep is invaluable. Karp,
an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California
School of Medicine, describes the first few months after birth as the
"fourth trimester." Babies are out of the womb, he says–but they're
really not ready for our world.
"Our
newborns are smushy little creatures who must be 'evicted' from the womb three
months before they’re ready so their big heads don’t get stuck in the birth
canal," he says. We assume that newborns need calm and quiet, but the
place from which they've just emerged is quite an active and noisy place.
"Most
babies doze much better when surrounded by some of the soothing sensations they
enjoyed in the womb. These sensations work so well because they turn on a
calming reflex–an off-switch for crying and on-switch for sleep that all babies
are born with."
The “Happiest
Baby” method, aka the 5 S’s are: swaddle, side or stomach position, shush,
swing, and suck.
The five S's: Swaddle (#1)
What it is:
Wrap your
crying or fussy baby snugly, arms at her sides, in a thin blanket. Babies can
also be swaddled with their arms loose, but Karp says it's essential to wrap
your baby's arms inside the blanket.
Why it
works:
Swaddling
soothes babies by providing the secure feeling they enjoyed before birth. After
months in that confining environment, Karp says, "the world is too big for
them! That's why they love to be cuddled in our arms and to be
swaddled."
Done as
Karp recommends, swaddling keeps your baby's arms from flailing and prevents
startling, which can start the cycle of fussing and crying all over again. It
also lets your baby know that it's time to sleep.
Swaddling
helps babies respond better to the other four "S's," as well.
How to do
it:
Karp
suggests swaddling baby for sleep, every time. Always lay baby down to sleep on
her back. Avoid overheating by using a thin blanket and making sure the room
isn’t too warm.
Swaddling
is not hard to do but some practice may be necessary to get a technique that is
safe and effective. The idea is to swaddle baby snugly so that they can’t
wiggle out, but leave enough room at the bottom of the blanket for them to bend
their legs.
Watch a
doctor demonstrate the simple art of swaddling, see a how-to-swaddle slide
show, or use our article for further reference. You'll be an expert in no time!
You can
also search for Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby videos online or watch his DVDs to
learn how to swaddle.
Do swaddle
your baby for naps, for the night, and when she's crying. Don't swaddle when
she's awake and happy. Karp says most babies can be weaned off swaddling after
four or five months.
Swaddling
alone usually isn't enough to make the magic happen. On to the second “S”.
The five S's: Side or stomach
position (#2)
What it is:
Now that
you've swaddled your baby, you can begin to calm your crying or fussy baby by
putting him on his side or stomach.
Why it
works:
To reduce
the risk of SIDS, experts recommend putting babies to sleep on their back. But
because newborns feel more secure and content on their side or tummy, those are
great positions for soothing (not sleeping).
How to do
it:
Hold your
fussing or crying baby in your arms in a side or tummy-down position in your
arms, over your should or on your lap. Use this "S" only for soothing
your infant. Never put him on his side or stomach when he's asleep. Once he
falls asleep, move him onto his back.
Sometimes
swaddling and being held in a side or stomach position is enough–but if not,
move on to the third "S": shush.
The five S's: Shush (#3)
What it is:
A sound
that calms and comforts your baby, helps stop crying and fussing, and helps
your baby go to sleep and stay asleep.
Why it
works:
Newborns
don't need silence. In fact, having just spent months in utero–where Mom's
blood flow makes a shushing sound louder than a vacuum cleaner–they're happier,
they're able to calm down, and they sleep better in a noisy environment. Not
all noises are alike, however.
How to do
it:
At its
simplest, you apply the "shush" step by loudly saying
"shhh" into your swaddled baby's ear as you hold her on her side or
tummy. Put your lips right next to your baby's ear and "shhh" loudly
(usually while gently jiggling her–see "S" #4).
Shush as
loudly as your baby is crying. As she calms down, lower the volume of your
shushing to match.
In
addition, Karp recommends play a recording of white noise while your baby
sleeps. Some sounds are much more effective than others, however. He says that
fans, sound machines, and recordings of ocean waves may not work, and
recommends sounds that are more low and "rumbly" (like the sounds in
the womb). Experiment and find what works for your baby. There are several
White Noise apps available for your devices with several sounds available.
Play the
sounds as loud as your baby is crying to calm her down. To accompany sleep,
play them as loud as a shower.
As your
baby gets older, you can continue the use of white noise. "Sound is like a
comforting teddy bear. Play it for all naps/nights for at least the first
year," Karp says.
Holding
your swaddled but fussy baby in a side or stomach position and shushing in her
ear may be all your baby needs to calm down. But if you still need more magic,
you can add "S" #4: swing.
The five S's: Swing (#4)
What it is:
A baby
swing might be your first thought, but that's not what this "swing"
refers to. Instead it actually refers to jiggling your swaddled baby using very
small, rapid movements.
Why it
works:
In utero
your baby was often rocked, jiggled, in motion. That makes "S" #4
familiar and comforting. In combination with the first three S's, it can do
wonders when a baby is upset.
How to do
it:
Do this
while shushing (or playing white noise to) your swaddled baby in a side or
stomach position. Be sure to support your newborn's head and gently jiggle–do
not shake–your baby. Karp describes it as more of a "shiver" than a
shake, moving back and forth no more than an inch in any direction.
"My
patients call this the 'Jell-O head' jiggle," he says.
In Karp's
opinion, other types of movement (being rocked in a rocking chair, swung in a
baby swing, or carried in a sling, for example) are useful for calm babies, but
this gentle jiggling is more effective for a wailing baby.
There's one
more "S" in Karp's system; "S" #5: suck. Add #5 as needed.
The five S's: Suck (#5)
What it is:
Mostly
self-explanatory: This simply means giving your baby a pacifier or thumb to
suck on.
Why it
works:
Some babies
love to suck and find great comfort in it. If your baby is in that camp,
sucking may help her relax and calm down.
How to do
it:
Give your
swaddled baby a pacifier or your thumb if she's upset and seems to want to
suck. In combination with being held on her side or tummy, being soothed with
loud shushing or white noise, and being gently jiggled, sucking may do the
trick.
Pacifiers
reduce the risk of SIDS, so it's okay to let your baby keep the pacifier in
bed.
What else
you should know about Harvey Karp's five S's
The five
S's only work when they're done exactly right, Karp says. He compares babies'
calming reflex to the knee reflex that doctors test with a little hammer: It
only works when the knee is hit in exactly the right spot. If it's hit an inch
too high or low, there's no response.
If you do
all five correctly, Karp says, his technique works for 98 percent of babies.
(He recommends that the other 2 percent talk to their doctor.)
Remember
that not all five S’s may be necessary. Some babies only need one or two of the
S’s. Every baby is different, so experiment so find out what works for you and
your baby.
Karp’s
method is aimed at babies in the first four months of life. After that, it may
still work but the magic is no longer as potent.
As a new,
sleep-deprived parent myself, I’m open to investigating any technique or
product that promises baby magic. Especially if it leads to more sleep! Please
feel free to comment or share your fail-proof solutions for soothing a baby or
making the parent life easier. You can
email me at Ian@thelobasgroup.com or call me at 443-463-5506
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