The big wide world can be a very overwhelming place for a newborn baby, differing wildly from the cosy, warm environment they have previously known. It can be tempting to tiptoe around young babies, yet the womb is filled with loud sounds and movement which they have grown accustomed to in utero.
Dr Harvey Karp, a Californian paediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, came up with a five-step ‘cuddle cure’ to soothe and settle babies. His theory is based on recreating the conditions inside the womb, making the transition into the world that bit easier for your little one, and equipping you with helpful tools to soothe your baby.
Swaddling
Wrapping baby up like a little burrito helps to recreate the snug environment inside the womb, decreasing baby’s startle reflex and aiding in settling her to sleep. To swaddle safely and correctly, do not swaddle above the shoulders, use thin materials to ensure baby doesn’t get too hot, and keep the hips loose and flexed. Further information on correct swaddling can be found here.
Side/Stomach position
While the back is the only safe position for sleep, it can help to hold baby on her side or stomach when trying to calm fussiness. The ‘tiger in a tree’ baby hold is an excellent technique for this:
- Support your baby by lying her along your forearm facing downwards, with her head pointing towards and resting on your elbow.
- Your supporting arm should fully support her weight, with your hand between or on her legs.
- Place your free hand on her back to provide extra support.
Shushing
Babies don’t need total silence in order to settle off to sleep. The sound of blood rushing through the placenta in the womb is louder than the sound of the average house-hold vacuum cleaner! This is why a loud, long ‘shhhhh’ next to baby’s ear or a well-placed white noise machine can work wonders in calming baby.
Swinging
In the womb, babies are constantly jostled around – when you walk up the stairs, head off to work, walk to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, or take part in a pregnancy yoga class. You may even remember being kicked in the ribs at the very moment you tried to settle down to sleep at night during pregnancy, because you stopped moving. Safely rocking and swinging a baby is a highly effective tool in soothing her through periods of fussiness – that’s why babies often drift off to sleep in the pram or car, some adults too!
Sucking
Whether with a thumb, dummy, nipple, or the teat of a bottle, sucking has an instant calming effect on baby as it is an innate reflex. Through sucking, baby is able to sate her hunger and fill her belly.
According to Dr Harvey Karp, these five S’s – if applied correctly – will soothe even the most unsettled newborn baby. He points out that adults can be calmed by a lot of these things too; falling asleep in a car, being rocked into the land of nod in a hammock, or listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean.
Jen Dowding, Baby massage and baby yoga instructor, Basking Babies Laindon & Orsett
