One of the biggest challenges for parents is calming a fussy baby. An expert in all things baby-related is Dr Harvey Karp from Happiest Baby, who has some incredibly helpful tips on soothing an infant using the Five S’s.
Soothing an Infant – The 5 S’s
1. Swaddle – Swaddling helps baby feel safe, snug and secure and mimics the womb, which is why swaddling is considered so successful to help baby to sleep. It decreases startling and promotes longer, safer sleep.
2. Side Position – Although sleeping baby on the back is the only safe position for sleeping, it is hard to calm a fussy baby in this position. Placing baby on the side can help ease the fussiness, allowing you to move your infant to the back-sleeping position after calming down.
3. Shush – This ‘S’ refers to the sounds that baby needs to sleep. Infants are used to the shushing sounds of your womb and thus you might find baby has trouble sleeping in complete silence. White noise can help lull your little one to sleep and help them stay asleep longer.
4. Swing – Babies love movement, especially the back-and-forth swinging sensation. Using an infant swing or gently rocking bub back and forth can also help soothe a crying baby.
5. Suck – For babies, nothing is more calming than the sucking motion. Even the fussiest baby can relax when sucking.
For more on Dr. Karp’s 5 S’s method for Soothing babies, visit happiestbaby.com.au
Tune into Episode 20 of the PakMag Parents Podcast with Dr Harvey Karp, one of America’s most-trusted Paediatricians and Child Development Experts, on how you can kiss sleep deprivation goodbye.
