Calming A Fussy/Crying Baby...Or Not! Pt 2

Let the fun part begin! It is time to get down to it. You have checked everything you can think of that might be causing your baby to be so uncomfortable that she will not stop crying. She has been fed, burped, changed, is dressed appropriately for the temperature of the room, you've worked out any gas that you can, you've checked her temperature and for any signs of illness. She is not teething...but she is still crying. Hard.

What's going on? Here are a few possibilities:

• It is her witching hour and she is over tired
• It's some other part of the day, and she is over tired
• She's otherwise uncomfortable, but you've been down the list and can't pin point it
• She could be gassy and/or have reflux

Most Mamas as soon as they finish checking for all the usual culprits, begin trying to soothe their baby. You may have some things that come naturally to you, like holding close, rocking, nursing, standing and swaying, singing or humming, gently patting the back, quietly shooshing.

I personally never thought I would benefit from a book or DVD about calming a baby. I figured it would come naturally to me. And some of it does. However there are some good folks out there that have done some studying and developed techniques that actually have science attached to them. And often they work! Again, sometimes they don't, and we'll get to that later.

The doctor I was introduced to via DVD through the birth center's required baby care 101 class, was Harvey Karp. He is author of "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and some other great titles and resources as well. My husband and I found ourselves using his techniques right away with our first born and we are still forever grateful. In a nutshell, Dr. Karp believes that babies, especially in the first 3-4 months of life are actually in a "fourth trimester" and often have problems adjusting to the world outside of their mother's womb. (Makes sense to me!) How do they react to this uncertainty? They cry! Dr. Karp's solution is to try to recreate the environment of the womb that your baby is so familiar with. He calls this re-creation process "The 5 S's".


There are 5 parts to his method which, when used together, recreate the womb (as best we can) and often help your baby to stop crying and hopefully to go off to sleep.Some babies will need all five. Our first born did, and we called it "pulling out all the stops". Others, like our daughter, needed only a few and the combination changed often. My suggestion is to "pull out all the stops" and adjust accordingly and as needed. Here are THE FIVE S'S:

1. Swaddling - Correct swaddling provides the continuous cuddling your baby experienced in the womb
2. Side/Stomach Position - While holding your baby, (we always sat down and laid our babies on our lap) place him on his left side to aid in digestion, or on his tummy. After your baby is blissfully sleeping, remember to always lay him ON HIS BACK in his crib to prevent SIDS
3. Shushing Sounds - These sounds imitate the constant whooshing sound made by the blood flowing through arteries near the womb. You can use your own voice to shoosh, or you can use an appliance like a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner. Or you might use a white noise machine. We used all three depending on the circumstance!
4. Swinging - Newborns are used to the constant swaying motion mom's movements caused in their little cocoon. Once your baby is born, this motion is abruptly taken away (along with the tight cuddling and loud whooshing of the womb.) This is why rocking is an age old go-to for soothing babies to sleep, and a more recent technique is the near fail proof car ride! You can gently sway your side or tummy laying baby on your lap. Or if you're able to purchase a  baby swing, it just may change your baby's life and yours!
5. Sucking - "sucking has its effects deep in the nervous system," notes Karp, "and triggers the calming reflex and release of natural chemicals in the brain." This "S" can be accomplished with breast, bottle, pacifier, or even a clean finger

I certainly encourage the purchase, borrow or rent of "The Happiest Baby On The Block". You can rent it from Netflix and other media outlets. Purchase from his site or Amazon. Borrow from the library or a friend. Look on You Tube for video clips of The 5 S's in action to get a good visual of what you will be doing.

Once your baby finally stops crying, and hopefully falls fast asleep, getting her into her crib undisturbed may be a whole other issue. If your baby has been awake for a long time (longer than 1-1.5 hours in the first 3-4 months) and so was very overtired, you may want to WAIT until your baby has been asleep for about a half hour before trying to transfer him. The more over tired your little one was when he finally fell asleep, the easier he will wake and possibly go straight into a wail beginning the whole process over again. You can certainly try laying him straight down. Just be prepared that he may not transfer easily. Look for my post on transferring a sleeping baby for some tips and tricks.

What if you've employed The 5 S's and your baby is still crying? Really? Can this be possible? Yep. I've seen it with both of my babies. Help is on the way. You only have two choices from this point, so it is getting easier as you chip away at the list. Take a deep breath, and read the last part to the series.

Upcoming posts:

Calming A Fussy/Crying Baby...Or Not Pt 3 of 3
The Witching Hour
Transferring A Sleeping Baby