Thursday, July 15, 2010

The 5 S's?


The title of this post might as well be "We're Idiots"....

A few weeks ago the Hubs and I ordered The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD via Netflix. Tons of our friends had been telling us how helpful it was with thier new babies so we couldn't wait to watch it. During the video Dr. Karp goes over the 5 S's - swaddling, side/stomach positioning in the parents' arms, shushing, swinging, and sucking. He says that these actions mimic what the baby was experiencing in the womb and will help if the baby is fussy for no apparent reason (ie has been changed, fed, slept, etc).

UM... WHAT?!?!

Where did the Hubs and I miss this? He's going to cry for no reason? (Well, of course he is but we just hadn't really thought about it...) We were baffled. We stared at the screen - eyes wide and jaws dropped. How the heck in all of the classes/books/dr. appts/talking to other parents did we blatently miss that yes, our sweet little Trey may just start crying and not stop for a lengthy period of time? We sat there and watched very intently and have continued to talk about it ever since.

So what did I do to help the situation after we watched this eye opening video? Oh the same thing any other new, freaked out, parent-to-be would do. I went on a swaddle blanket shopping spree.


(Just a small portion of my crazy swaddling obsession spree! And yay for finding two of those SwaddleMe's at TJ Maxx!! Clearly an obsession like this can get expensive quickly... Like those Aden & Anais Blankets - but aren't they just SO sweet!?)

I've bought Halo SleepSacks, SwaddleMe blankets, Aden & Anais Blankets, Swaddle Designs, and yep, I'll probably have a Miracle Blanket on it's way to my house any second now! The Hubs thinks I'm slightly crazy but when I remind him of the 5 S's he quickly quiets up and lets me continue on with my crazy obsession!

So, any Moms or Moms to be - what do you know about this? Any advice? Thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

11 comments:

AndreaLeigh said...

The shushing and the swaddling worked for Cooper. I swear by the aden + anais blankets. Love them.

Coops didn't like the swing until he was older. He has never been super attached to a pacifier either - he doesn't even use one now.

And yes, they cry for no reason. I pray Trey doesn't have colic. That, girl, is hell on earth. Cooper would cry for hours, to the point that I would just sit and hold him and cry with him because I was so stressed out.

If he has colic - and some babies don't - there are lots of things you can try, so just cross that bridge if it happens. :)

lg2006 said...

This post is crackin me up! We also watched that DVD and were fascinated by it! I have pretty much the same assortment of swaddle blankets you show there and will be excited to hear what you think about them!
My dad did point out that maybe swaddling wont be for our baby because he moves NON STOP in the womb... I guess only time will tell.
I bet you are gettin antsy!

chelsea said...

Oh gracious you are cracking me up. I know nothing about children but I do know that you are going to be a fabulous mom. I can just tell. :)

Blue-Eyed Bride said...

Stick to the 5 S's and you'll be good. We swore by the whole video and the swaddling calmed him almost instantly.

I love the swaddle designs blankets because they really folded so perfectly. And Dr. Karp's swaddling method is the best because it keeps their hands down and secure.

And trust me... some people say "my baby didn't like to be swaddled"... but every baby likes to be swaddled-- they just don't know it yet. Try it for a few days before you rule it out. Hudson would TRY to bust out, but he'd give up and go right to sleep. Miracle worker that Dr. Karp!

Unknown said...

Don't stress...you will do just find. The thing about parenting is this.......you can't learn it from a book. Trust me. ;)

Unknown said...

Swaddle Designs is an art and an true art is not a copy book style!!!! Similarly Love is also an art no body can learn it by just reading books!!! You have to be true there...And the '?' of handling your baby... "Love teaches all the things dear..."

Perfectly Imperfect said...

I never saw the video, but got this advice from blog friends and swaddling is a MIRACLE worker. I swore my child didn't like being swaddled because she busted out of every swaddle blanket. Then we bought the Summer Swaddle (which I saw in your stash!) and she was a changed baby. Between the swaddling and the "white noise" (shh sound) she was a changed baby. She went from crying (a lot!) to sleeping through the night in two days. Keep at it. He'll probably bust out for a few days, but he'll love it. And don't let anyone (like a m-i-l!) tell you that you're being mean by "tying your baby down". That could just be mine though.. =)

Ash said...

swaddling was our BFF (or at least until about 8wks old), I had the book and then put it down and went with the flow and we only used the 1 S.

Christy said...

Just catching up on your blog. I am now a mother of two (my youngest is almost 3 weeks old). I did not have any luck w/the swaddle blankets as I could never get them tight enough. I am lucky because my grandma made me some large receiving blankets that we use for swaddling. I recommend leaving w/at least 2 that they use in the hospital. They aren't the cutest, but they are a bit stiffer and work wonders! We always swaddle in two blankets. Another book to check into...BabyWise. I swear by their method of eat, play, then sleep. My oldest is now 3 and she is a solid sleeper...perhaps luck?? Perhaps the method??? I didn't agree with everything the book said, but that order seemed to do the trick.
Good luck and you will be fine! Motherly instinct kicks right in :)

Charlotte said...

girl...swaddling SAVED MY LIFE!!! I used just plain oversized blankets. Normal receiving blankets are a little hard so I would just make sure they were nice and big and those worked well since I was able to get her nice and tight. We never had colic or anything but if you start from the beginning swaddling will be amazing! AND they're so much easier to hold when they're a baby burrito!!

Charlotte said...

And you were so smart to watch the video! Someone gave that to us as a shower gift! Best present!!