Soothe a Baby

Here's a miraculous system for helping a baby sleep. It works by drawing on small babies' built-in quieting reflexes. The technique is based around the five S's of quieting a baby developed by Dr. Harvey Karp at UCLA:
 * Swaddling
 * Side lying
 * Swinging
 * Shushing
 * Sucking

Steps

 * 1) Take care of your baby's basic needs by feeding, then burping and making a diaper change.
 * 2) * To burp your baby, hold the baby in your left arm, with the side of the face on your shoulder.
 * 3) * Pat the back gently until you hear the baby burp.
 * 4) * You can also rub the back from the bottom upward.
 * 5) Swaddle the child. If the baby is an infant, just home from the hospital, remember that the baby was warm and comfortable in the mother's womb. Wrapping or swaddling the baby, like a papoose, makes it feel like it did inside the womb: safe and warm. Use a small, lightweight receiving blanket to wrap the baby in. The concept is not to allow the baby to disturb itself by flailing their arms or legs around.
 * 6) * Place the baby on the blanket with their head at one point.
 * 7) * Wrap one side around the baby, pinning an arm down.
 * 8) * Take the point below baby's feet and pull it up and tuck it into the top of the blanket point that was tightly wound around.
 * 9) * Take the other side of the blanket and wrap it around the baby so that the baby cannot move the other arm.
 * 10) Enable side lying in your arms.  Hold the baby at an angle to allow the baby to be on a side. However, do not  lay the baby in the crib to sleep on their side. Even a very young baby can roll over onto its stomach, which can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
 * 11) Swing your baby gently back and forth. Motion helps soothe babies, and make them sleep.
 * 12) * Put the baby in a swing,
 * 13) * Lay the baby on your knees and swing  from side-to-side, or
 * 14) * Pat gently on the baby's back.
 * 15) [[Image:Nurse and baby 1826.jpg|thumb|Rock-a-bye baby...]]Shush your baby. Babies sometimes get so loud they are upsetting themselves.
 * 16) * Get a tiny bit louder than they are.
 * 17) * Get quieter and quieter as they calm.
 * 18) * Gently talk or sing to them after they are calm.
 * 19) ** The baby is used to hearing your voice in the womb, and will be comforted by your voice.
 * 20) [[Image:Babybottle_159.jpg|thumb|This will keep him/her quiet...for now.]] Give your baby something to suck on, such as the breast, a bottle or milk, as the baby might be hungry. If this does not work, then try a pacifier.  Giving them a pacifier might soothe them.

Tips

 * If you are calm, it is more likely that the baby will be calm also, as a baby senses their caretaker's anxiety.
 * Contrary to popular belief, you cannot spoil your baby by always responding to their cries. Understand that you will earn the baby's trust if you do this and some babies will immediately stop crying as soon as they see a trusted caretaker.
 * [[Image:Carseat_873.jpg|thumb|Car Seat]]Place the baby in a car seat, and take them for a ride in the car. The sounds and rhythm of driving in the car are famous for putting a baby to sleep.
 * Alternatively, a walk outside in a stroller or in arms, will settle most tired babies.
 * Contact your pediatrician and have the baby tested for allergies to milk, soy and gluten. Maybe she is constantly crying because of this allergy.
 * Most babies are rocking babies, but occasionally there is a baby that likes to be bounced instead. Place the baby across your knees and lift your heels off the ground about two inches.  Do this quickly to make a vibrating feeling and the baby will be soothed.
 * An alternative to the driving method is to place them on a blanket on top of the washer or dryer while it's running. (Stay there, with one hand on the baby, the whole time, if you do this.)
 * One other trick for newborns is to make sure the baby's legs are tucked close to their body. In addition, cupping your hand over the side of the baby's head - making sure the ear is covered - soothes a newborn too.
 * Some (albeit very few) babies are extremely uncomfortable lying on their backs and absolutely cannot sleep that way. Consider whether you might have one of those children.
 * Some babies can only be calm when being held upright against your shoulder, not lying in your arms. Try standing up and holding your baby upright, rocking from your hips, with your spine as the pivot point.
 * Providing white noise, such as an air cleaner, in the room can sometimes calm a fussy baby to sleep.
 * If you can't stand it any longer, and are perhaps finding yourself in tears, call for help from a neighbor or a friend who has had children. They know what it's like to be in your shoes, and will be happy to do what they can. Don't be shy about asking them to come over.
 * All of this applies to male as well as female caretakers!

Warnings

 * If the problem persists, call the pediatrician. A baby will not cry extensively for no reason. This is the way they communicate that something is wrong.
 * When bouncing or rocking a baby, always make sure the head and neck are fully supported.
 * Be very, very careful not to cross the line from bouncing or patting on the back to shaking. A baby's spinal cord and brain are not fully protected, and their neck is very fragile. Brain damage and/or death can result from shaking.
 * Do not just leave the room and 'let them cry it out', unless you are absolutely sure that there is no problem. Even then, do not let them 'cry it out' for a prolonged period of time.
 * As an absolute last resort, put the baby in the crib and call 911. Tell them you are losing your temper, that the baby won't stop crying, and that you need help immediately. They will send someone to ensure you don't hurt the child and refer you to social services so you will have someone to contact if the problem persists.
 * Be careful when swaddling the baby. Recent research suggests that wrapping a baby too tightly may be a cause of SIDS.
 * Consistently using a car or other method to calm a baby can turn into a "crutch" that a baby might become dependent on to actually calm down. "Crutch" type methods don't cause a problem if used occasionally (for extremely upset babies).  However, you should try to teach a baby to self-soothe to avoid an unwanted dependence.
 * Never use alcohol. It works, but is not good for development. (Call your local government support line if this even crosses your mind as an option for use.  You can remain anonymous.)

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Keep a Baby Entertained
 * How to Give Baby Gifts They'll Remember
 * How to Babysit a Toddler
 * How to Decide on a Pediatric Formula for Your Child
 * How to Get a Newborn to Sleep Through the Night
 * How to Make Baby Finger Foods
 * How to Throw a Baby Shower
 * How to Wear Your Baby

Sources and Citations
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 * http://www.thehappiestbaby.com/ - Source of the 5 S system. Invented by Dr. Harvey Karp and highlighted in the book The Happiest Baby on the Block
 * http://www.sids.org/ — SID Institute of America
 * CBS News report on this subject
 * http://www.babysleepsystem.com/babysleep/harvey.htm
 * http://www.babywhisperer.com - Website of the Baby Whisperer soothing and sleep-training techiques. Its message boards include a fabulous wealth of information on how to care for your child as well as yourself! (Child-rearing is hard work!)