It's 3 a.m. and your baby is screaming like a banshee. You and your partner have no idea what to do. You want to call your mom, but she's sound asleep at home so all you can do is cry.
Don't let this happen again. Watch The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD ($22) by Dr. Harvey Karp. You can buy the book too, but seeing the tactics acted out is more educational. I did both to be doubly prepared.
Dr. Harvey Karp has been a practicing pediatrician for over 25 years. He began studying colic back in 1981 and has come up with his own method to calm crying babies. He preaches the five S's — swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking. He believes that using one or a combination of the S's activates the calming reflex in babies.
I am a believer — we shushed, swaddled, and swung like crazy people. Sucking was popular, too and the side positioning came in handy occasionally. Our friends told us to get this DVD and I flinched at the price. If you don't want to buy it, check your local library to see if you can check it out. It's a lesson worth learning. You'll want to be armed with the S knowledge when you bring baby home from the hospital.
Lola Rose
Vero Moda
Lowie
I have twins so i know what you mean.
1I read the book and it saved me during the newborn haze...
2I just started reading this last night ... I am preparing for the worst. I also got the DVD for those times I am too tired to process anything. I can't wait for those days!
3i had this book. its very helpful
4MY BFF mentioned getting the book for me for Christmas. The instructor in my infant care class also mentioned how good it was. So as soon as the nursery is done and the holidays out of the way, I'll dive in.
5I swore by this book - the 5 Ss saved many an evening when the witching hour came. I tell all of my friends to buy it!
6I am a pediatric occupational therapist and I LOVE the strategies in this book! other great resources for calming that I have used and loved can be found at: http://www.familyfundamentalsonline.com/imresources.html
7My MiL got the DVD for us, but we haven't got around to watching it yet... good to know that it's worth it!
8Against the advice of one of my best friends, I didn't read this until AFTER I had the baby. Don't make that mistake! Read it, learn it, practice it on someone else's baby if you have to. And, yeah, I didn't know they had a DVD but that probably would have been VERY helpful post-partum. I had a *very* hard time finding time to read the book that I so needed help from!
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