Settling babies 0-3months- summarised
Ok these techniques were used by our friends on their now 8 weeks old daughter and it worked miracles for them. Maybe it can help you......
These strategies that I am about to list are strategies used in a babies first 3 months of life Dr. Harvey Karp is a pediatrician and has taught these techniques to many parents in need of help. He calls the first 3 months of a babies life the Fourth Trimester.
I have summarised the information from the DVD, so I am hoping that it makes sense.
Most people think that their Baby is unsettled due to gas pains, but actually in very few babies this is the cause. One lady on the video was told that her baby suffered from gas problems, which were causing her baby pain. Dr. Harvey Karp, used the techniques that will be discussed, on her baby, and he settled within seconds. Dr. Harvey Karp states that a baby in pain would not settle this quickly.
These techniques are based on 3 great ideas: 1st being the Fourth Trimester, 2nd being “the calming reflex†and the 3rd being the 5 S’s.
Fourth trimester
During the fourth trimester, babies usually get upset because they are missing the surroundings they have been use to whilst in the womb for the past 9 months. While baby is in the womb, they have a constant sound they can hear 24 hours a day. This sound is similar to a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer. There is also constant jiggling movements they feel (due to us moving about), and they are confined in a small space, like a tight package.
People have known for quite some time that a way to calm a baby is to imitate movements and noises they had experienced in the womb, but no one really knew why until today. The reason being is that it is due to a reflex the baby is born with known as the “calming reflexâ€. This reflex is the†automatic shut off switch “to a babies crying.
Babies are born with lots of reflexes ie. Sucking, crying, swallowing etc. A new discovery has been made that babies are also born with the “calming reflexâ€.
The 5 S’s
1st- swaddling (wrapping)
2nd- side or stomach position
3rd- shushing
4th- swinging (or jiggling)
5th- sucking
Swaddling – Tight swaddling with arms DOWN, keeps babies movements from accidentally upsetting themselves. It confuses parents and grandparents at first, as wrapping can seam to make baby more upset. BUT Dr. Harvey Karp reassures to keep at it and it will become your best friend.
You will be most successful with the swaddling if you use a square blanket, and one that is big enough to wrap right around the whole baby and tucked in at the front.
New babies do not need freedom but need to feel secure and protected.
Swaddling is very misunderstood because a lot of people wrap the baby’s arms, which causes the baby to fight and struggle. So parents then give up on swaddling because they think their baby doesn’t like it.
Babies lay in the womb with their hands up near their face, but you cannot wrap a baby this way because their hands will get free.
So even though wrapping baby with their arms by their side seems like an unusual position, it does help tremendously, because they will not upset themselves by jerky movements often caused by their arms becoming loose.
PLEASE EMAIL me if you wish to have a diagram of how he recommends wrapping a baby.
If babies arms can sneak out, the wrapping will NOT work. You MUST keep babies arms securely down by their sides when you wrap them up. The wrapping should be about as tight as your elastic on your pants is/was, at the end of your pregnancy.
Some babies love to be wrapped for sleep, for 4, 5 even 8 months of their life. But certainly for the first 3 months of a babies life, because it makes them feel “ back at homeâ€. They may struggle at first, but they will be much happier once wrapped up. If wrapping alone, does not calm them down, then add the next step, which is the 2nd S.
Side position- This is a way of holding your baby once they are wrapped. It is called the “reverse breast feeding positionâ€.
Hold wrapped baby in your arms facing outwards and angle them down a bit (make sure baby is not angled too far back or forward). Test out what angle your baby prefers and responds to best. It should look the same as you do when breast feeding, just that baby is facing outwards. Cradle their head in your hands.
If the wrapping and side cradling together, do not work and your baby is still unsettled, add ‘S’ number 3.
Shushing- While cradling your swaddled baby in the side position, bring your mouth down very close to their ear, and make a ‘loud’ shushing sound. It should be as loud as the baby is crying so that they can hear you and be calmed. As your baby calms down, you can make the shushing quieter.
If swaddling together with side positioning and shushing doesn’t work, whilst still doing all 3, add ‘S’ number 4.
Swinging- While holding your baby wrapped in the side position and while shushing, jiggle your baby gently. Let her head rest comfortably in your hands, and allow her head to jiggle from side to side. Dr. Harvey Karp reassures that it is not shaking that is being done, but gently jiggling. This can be done all day, and not harm your baby. It is actually the opposite and very calming and reassuring for your baby, making them feel at home.
You can also use a swing to swing your baby in. To do this you MUST make sure that your baby is tightly wrapped and make sure the seat is back as far as will allow. Place the harness in between the baby’s legs and tighten securely. If your baby struggles while getting put in the swing, once in, give the swing a vigorous jiggle manually, until your baby settles. Then place the swing on the highest setting.
If all four S’s do not work, then add ‘S’ number 5.
Sucking- While you are practicing all five S’s, you could place your thumb or finger in your babies mouth or use a pacifier. If using a pacifier, some babies don’t know what to do with it at first. So most peoples instinct is to hold the dummy in. But really Dr. Harvey Karp suggests using reverse physcology. Do this by placing the dummy in your baby’s mouth and while holding it in, gently push down on it as if you were trying to knock it out. Your baby will automatically suck harder and keep the dummy in.
When using dummies-
* DO NOT use until breast feeding is going well.
* DO NOT dip dummy in honey or syrup
* DO NOT hang dummy around baby’s neck with string.
The 5 S’s do take practice but saying that do not take long to master, so just be persistent. It will workï*
Also some babies only need to use the 1st or 2nd S before they are calm, whereas other more unsettled babies may need all 5 S’s.
If all 5 S’s are being used, it is called the “cuddle cureâ€. This is because it works extremely well for fussy babies.
The great thing is that Dad can use these techniques as well, and actually enjoy it more then Mum’s because they like being more jiggly.
If you want more sleep at night time (which most, if not all, of us do), these 5 S’s have proven to achieve this. Most parents got an extra 2-3 hours a night of sleep, after using the 5 S’s as a settling technique.
Well, I hope all this makes sense and good luck.!!!
