Trick #2: The Five S's

My mom, aka "the baby whisperer" (a labor & delivery nurse for 15 years) taught me a number of tricks when I had Lincoln last year. One of the biggies is what she calls "The Five S's". (It's really 4 S's and  1 J, but Five S's sounds better...) She credits a video called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" for this knowledge.

Problem: You have a fussy baby. 

Solution: If you know that the baby has been fed, burped, and changed, and they are still a mess, then implement The Five S's. Do all of these, in order, and continue until the child is calm. Works every time.

1. Swaddle. 

Little babies (say, 7 months and under) like to be swaddled. Most people will swaddle using the diamond method, probably because that's what most swaddle blankets recommend on their packaging. But I found that this swaddle always fell to pieces. I like the rectangle swaddle, the one they use in the hospital with your newborn - this swaddle has staying power. Here's how to do it.

 2. Side

Pick the baby up and lay them on their side, facing outward, so that their back is against your tummy, and your arms are supporting them. This is soothing to baby and also helps their tummies due to the pressure of your arm on their belly. Like so:

3. Suck

Give the kid a pacifier. Babies are incapable of forming bad habits until age 4 months. (Cite: My favorite baby book, Baby 411.) Pacifiers will help you both get through these first few months a lot smoother, then they can disappear before the teeth show up. And don't let yourself feel guilty about it! Parenting is hard enough without the guilt - use all the tools that you can that will help you be successful.

4. Swing & Jiggle

Swing baby from side to side, and
jiggle your arms up and down to gently bounce the baby. 

5. Shushing

Imitate the sounds baby heard while in the womb, by making long,  loud whooshing sounds.

Conclusion
Now you, too, are a baby whisperer! Go spread the good news of The Five S's. Trust me, it works like magic!