Booked Up (a book review by parents)
Written by Stressline Intern: Jennifer Pohler
Submitted in January 2011
Title:The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
Type: Paperback
Author: Harvey Karp, MD
Synopsis:
Dr. Harvey Karp is a nationally respected pediatrician, child development expert, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. His solutions for frazzled parents and colicky babies are both well-researched and easy to do. Dr. Karp researched infant calming reflexes used by mothers around the world and found that the happiest newborn babies were well-swaddled and soothed by rocking, dancing, swinging, etc. These activities mimic the womb for newborns and quickly calm criers. From these ideas, he developed the “Five S’s”: Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shhhhhing Sounds, Swinging, and Sucking. Dr. Karp also believes that infants who seem colicky (aside from any clear medical issues) actually may be babies who need a “Fourth Trimester”. Using the Five S’s method, parents will find that their “not just ready to be here” babies are soothed during their first three months of life. He ends his book with a valuable list of top survival tips for new parents. Bonus: used copies on Amazon are priced less than $3.00 each!