Continuing with our series on babies, today we are going to share a method that we have had occasion to practice with our own children, and the truth is that it really works.
It is the method of 5 S. This method was developed by Dr. Pediatra Harvey Karp, and describes it in his book "The Happiest Baby on the Block".
Why cry my baby?
Dr. Harvey's theory is based on a very simple idea and is that human beings are born prematurely. This is because due to human evolution, and in particular to the fact that when humans went from walking on all fours to walk ergidos pelvis adopted a shape and position which makes the eject of baby in childbirth. Therefore, that babies should be born prematurely when they still have a size that allows passing through the mother's pelvis. In fact, the bones of the skull of the child are still soft and this will prevent that the head can be embedded during the process. Thus according to this doctor, there are still the child 3 months of development has not been able to do in the womb. These three months are the so-called famous the fourth quarter.
This is the explanation that during this "fourth quarter" the baby is still very immature, disoriented and sometimes cry and cry for no apparent reason.
According to our experience the first thing obviously cater to baby, please do not do case grandmothers (of the old school) that will tell you that not is it can be pleasing to baby every time you cry, that it teases us, that if we do this always want to be in arms... at this age the child is still very immature and there is no intent in their acts of this typeYou can be sure. These themes now with an older, already may be debatable, but never with a newborn. For this reason, there is always that make sure that the baby has addressed needs, such as that it is powered (not hungry), have the clean diaper, not have some discomfort (heat, cold, something that tighten you...), are sick, have a fever...
Once insured that the reason for the crying baby is not due to any reason "objective" on which it can act, it is likely that your baby is crying because you need that comfort, and is located in an environment foreign to that still has not been adapted.
In this situation the 5 S method, hopefully it will be as much utility as it has been to us.
And what about the famous infant colic?
Infant colic has been the "official explanation" to this type of behavior of infants before 3 months of life, and to be recognized as such, requiring three weeks and more than 3 hours a day of weeping without apparent explanation. And that has always been associated with gases in the immature digestive system of the newborn, to produce discomforts and hence the crying.
As we have mentioned before depending on Doctor Harper, ensures that you can be sure a small percentage of children is affected by this mysterious infant colic, but generally it is an explanation that have always given doctors to something they don't have very clear.
And that the reason that explains this usual crying before 3 months of age in the majority of cases is the immaturity and the adjustment period of the newborn to life outside the womb.
5 S method
Not bad! At this point we enter in the field. What is the famous method? Because it is very simple and is basically applied common sense. We have said that the reason for this crying (which usually become more acute in the evenings when the child is already tired of the daytime activity), is the maladjustment to the new environment, the wisest to calm him, would play to the extent possible the media just a few weeks ago he was comfortable and safe.
The name of the 5 techniques we can apply starst by an S, and hence the name of the method:
Siphon (Suck)
The baby has the instinct to suck to feed, this is innate. But this suction not only a role food, if not in many cases is soothing for baby. Is why many babies are soothed much in the mother's breast while having no hunger is time.
To give this soothing natural baby, can be as simple as placing a finger in your mouth or just use a pacifier. Interestingly enough in English to the pacifier is called "pacifier" (the soothing).
Cradle / rolling (Swinging)
Baby when you've been inside the gut of MOM for 9 months, has undergone much movement. Therefore rocking to the baby is always a good way to calm him down.
The correct technique can be passing his hand behind your neck or head and move from one side to the other. The head can be free as in addition to rocking her gently like a massage. That undulatory movement as the rocking of the waves they were has a very intense effect on the baby.
To avoid getting tired a good trick can be support forearms on his knees and rocking him as well.
Shhhhh
The baby has experienced an intense noise during the months of pregnancy to her around. The fluid surrounding him, the sound of the heart, the blood of the
breast pumping and circulating, is perceived by the fetus very clearly.
Emulate this soundscape again returns the baby to a situation similar to the pregnancy, reassuring him.
To do so is enough to mouth the ssshhhhh sound (the same that we use in the library to ask for silence, how curious!). Tone, volume, or right intensity for your baby the experience will give you.
Another very effective way to implement it is to use white noise. White noise is a sound that incorporates all the frequencies of the sound spectrum. It is the noise that makes a TV or a radio untuned. Internet to find easily white noise in mp3 to put it on any player. Or if the smatphones are your thing, you'll also find plenty of applications to make this type of noise.
Lateral position (Side / Stomach)
Supported on the arm, the baby is put upside down on the side. This posture comforts him in a remarkable way. And with a little skill can be combined with the movement of rocking him, being very effective.
Lullaby (Swaddling)
He drinks it has been nine months very passionate inside his mother's womb, to suddenly go to a "hostile" environment and where you feel unprotected is a shock.
Therefore, one of the most useful resources to make the baby feel protected and comfortable is to wrap him in a lullaby. This Lullaby can be beaten with a towel, blanket, scarf large... in fact on the internet some are sold specifically for this task.
Right attached a simple instructions on how to do one of these atillos that will make your baby fall asleep quiet and comfortable.
Our experience is that all these tools work, and that when more effective are when the combine all of them together. Obviously each beb
e is different and responds differently to these stimuli, so what you need to do is to test them and see which work best in your case and to combine them in the way that better see. You don't always do so equally, and the important thing is to pay attention to the response of your baby in every situation.