The 5 S's

With Caitlyn being as fussy as ever, I figured it was time I stepped in and tried to do something about it. One of the books I’m currently reading is The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. In this book, he explains 5 steps to soothing a baby: swaddling, side, shushing, swinging, and sucking (the 5 S’s).

Swaddling 
The first ‘S’ is swaddling. As I begin to tell her about the first step, it’s obvious we’re going to be butting heads quite a bit. She thinks swaddling is a discomfort for the baby and should be ditched sooner than later. I beg to differ. Swaddling creates a comfort for babies who are used to being in the confined space of the uterus.

Jessie argues that when a baby flails her arms, it’s proof she doesn’t want or need to be swaddled and interferes with the baby’s ability to learn about the world. On the contrary, flailing arms just make the baby become over-stimulated. It’s not a cry to be free. Also, nobody is saying to swaddle a baby 24 hours a day. Obviously, there should be time for the baby to freely explore her surroundings free of the swaddle.

You can’t think like an adult here. Obviously, as adults, we wouldn’t want to be wrapped up like a burrito. We want our freedom. But babies are different. Swaddling soothes them and isn’t uncomfortable.

Side or Stomach 
The second ‘S’ is side or stomach. In other words, putting the baby on her side or stomach when she starts to become fussy. This position helps to simulate the baby’s position in the uterus. Putting a baby on her back when she’s fussy triggers what is known as the Moro reflex, where the baby feels like she’s falling. It will only cause her to become even more upset. Jessie is OK with the second ‘S’.

Shushing 
The third ‘S’ is shushing. Most people don’t realize this, but it’s noisy in the uterus. The sound of blood flowing through arteries and veins has been compared to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. That’s loud! Silence is something that is strange for a newborn baby. This is why most experts will say that having some sort of white noise in the background can help soothe a baby.

I’m not saying to scream into a baby’s ear, but your shushing should be loud enough to get her attention in order to calm her down. As a result, Jessie’s barely audible “shhhs” aren’t cutting it. Jessie has a hard time swallowing this fact, thinking that anything louder than a whisper will damage a baby’s ear. I don’t blame her. This seemingly goes against common sense. But again, we have to think like a baby, not a grown person.

Swinging 
The fourth ‘S’ is swinging. Jiggling and swinging a baby helps simulate what the baby felt when she was in the uterus. For fussier babies, the swinging and jiggling should be more pronounced and rapid. I’m not saying to shake the baby with all your might, but it needs to be more than just a slight nudge. Babies are more resilient than most people think. They’re not wafer-thin beings that crumble at the slightest touch.

If you’ve ever seen how a nurse handles a baby, then you know what I mean. They’re not exactly gentle with the baby. Babies need people to handle them with a firm, strong confidence. Not someone who holds them like they’re holding something fragile. Jessie’s wary about this step. Knowing how rough I can be when I handle things, she’s worried that I might swing the baby right out of my arms.

Sucking 

The final ‘S’ is sucking, as in sucking on a nipple or pacifier. This helps turn on a baby’s calming reflex. While they’re still in the uterus, babies are already sucking on their fingers. It’s only because they have poor muscle coordination once they’re born that they can’t do it. That’s where a nipple or pacifier comes in handy. Thankfully, Jessie’s nipples have recovered from the beating they took the first week and should be up to the challenge.

Now that you've learned a bit about the 5 S's, I know the question you’re probably thinking is, “Sure, the 5 S’s sounds all handy dandy, but does it work?” Jessie is my number one skeptic and has her doubts. She’s annoyed that after reading a book, I’m walking around like I know exactly what to do.

First of all, I never said calming a baby is easy. Talking and actually doing are two completely different things. I’ll be the first to admit that I may need some time before I perfect the technique. After all, practice makes perfect. Also, every baby is different. There is no one size fits all technique in my opinion. Everything can and should be modified to fit your baby’s personality and situation.

But back to the aforementioned question, from the times that I have handled Caitlyn and used the 5 S’s, they’ve actually worked. That’s right, they worked! In your face, sucka!! You can start addressing me as the Baby Whisperer, now.

Trying to grasp for reasons as to why I could get Caitlyn to calm down when she couldn’t, Jessie’s excuses ranged from Caitlyn being full from eating to Caitlyn being sleepy to Caitlyn not having one of her fussier fits. Either way, it seems the only way to make Jessie into a believer is for me to take Caitlyn and keep her calm the entire day all by myself. So be it. I say, bring it!!

 

Here’s a perfect example of what the technique looks like when it’s all put together. Like Jessie said when I showed her, “It’s magic!” Exactly. Magic.