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I can't even remember which friend it was, but someone passed down their used copy of Dr. Harvey Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD shortly before my first baby was born. It's ridiculous that I can't recall who gave it to me, as I would love to thank them five million times over for the relief that was provided when I followed Karp's 5 S's: swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking. My gal would chill out and, indeed, be the happiest baby on the block (see pic).
So it's not surprising, to me anyway, that Pediatrics has come out with a study showing that Karp's methods are scientifically proven to soothe babies who have just received a vaccination. Those are crying babies who just got jabbed. So not an easy crowd.
The other surprising thing about this study is that apparently babies have been given sucrose -- or sugar water -- to alleviate their post-vaccine pain. Compared to the 5 S's (or physical intervention, as it's called in the study), that sweet stuff has got nothing on the swaddle, side, shush, swing and/or suck. Babies' crying time was shortened when using these methods, and surely mom's and dad's stress levels were shortened as well.
For us, it was the swaddle and moving our swaddled baby to the side position that worked wonders. I know some moms who immediately nurse after baby has a shot, and that does the trick as well. The point being some or all of these actions are going to make your angry baby happy.
So bust out these methods the next time your baby heads to her check-up or is melting down. And let us know if it works in the comments!
Did you use "The Happiest Baby on the Block" with your baby?
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