This is a wonderful video which highlights the 5 S's plan as described by Dr. Harvey Karp in his book "The Happiest Baby on the Block". I loved this clip especially because we can see a wonderful dad getting involved and perfecting this method. The 5 S's are: swaddling, shushing, side/stomach position, swinging and sucking.
One very important thing to note here however, is the importance of being calm. If we react anxiously and reluctantly, babies very often pick up on these non-verbal cues and physical reactions (eg. faster heartbeat, shaking). Breath deeply and calmly, and if you are unable to be calm at that moment, ask your partner for help...
My game plan this evening :) Thanks for the helpful tip, will try it and update the blog if it works.
ReplyDeletePlease do! Good luck tonight Ahmed:)
ReplyDeletePromised to update:
ReplyDeleteIn summary, what the guy in the video was doing, is not so easy as it looks. I believe practicing with a doll might be necessary before you try this with your own child. My attempt was better than nothing ! :)
I was wondering if you would get back to us:) Yes, haha, I agree, you do need to practice beforehand, but also make sure any trials you have with your baby should be repeated for some time (at least a week). Not only do we, as caregivers, need to practice, but the baby will also thrive on the consistency and repetition of the action. Obviously abandon the trial sooner if it alarmed or irritated your child further.
ReplyDeleteWith older children, trials may take 2-3 weeks (because they learned to test and defy you), when it comes to behavior modification and instilling a new routine/system at home...