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FAQ’s about The Happiest Baby
Q: The Happiest Baby techniques seem quite different from other baby soothing techniques. Why are they so effective?
A: The Happiest Baby (THB) DVD and CD can help any parent become a world-class colic calmer… and help any baby sleep an extra 1-3 hours/night!
In fact, it is revolutionary in 3 ways:
- It is based on the novel concept that new babies are not fully ready for the world. In a way, they are born 3 months early and need a 4th trimester of holding, rocking and nurturing (this unique idea is the “ah-ha!” moment that helps new parents understand exactly what they need to do);
- It teaches the extraordinary new discovery that all babies are born with a calming reflex – a virtual off-switch for infant crying… even colic,
- The Happiest Baby teaches parents exactly how to do the 5 S’s (five simple steps that turn on the calming reflex).
Using the correct technique is so important because reflexes only work when triggered exactly right! For example, if you hit the knee even just a tiny bit too low and – even though it looks like you are doing it right – the knee reflex will fail every time. Similarly turning on the calming reflex usually fails unless the 5 S’s are done correctly.
It is very important to watch The Happiest Baby DVD carefully, use a large, thin, square swaddling blanket and play slightly harsh white noise (like our “Super-Soothing” Sleep Sounds CD). When you do these steps exactly right the effect of the 5 S’sis almost magical.
Once you master the 5 S’s it will be clear to you why The Happiest Baby has been translated into over 20 languages and applauded by experts from the former US Surgeon General, the founder of Lamaze, America’s most prominent pediatricians, La Leche League International, etc.
Q: Is there any scientific documentation of the existence of the calming reflex?
A: Good question!
When you watch The Happiest Baby DVD you will see one crying baby after another being calmed in seconds. This is exactly what we see when a reflex is being turned on. Numerous studies of the 5 S’s are now being done across the US. For example, the Department of Health of Boulder Colorado sent nurses into the homes of stressed, high-risk families to teach them The Happiest Baby approach. In 41/42 families they found that The Happiest Baby immediately improved the parent’s ability to calm the baby’s fussing and it often increased a baby’s sleep by extra 1-3 hours/night.
“Dr. Karp’s work is fascinating. It presents the top science about the development of babies in a style that is sensible and a pleasure to read. I believe it will reassure and guide new parents for many years to come.” – Julius Richmond, MD, Professor, Harvard Medical School,former US Surgeon General.
Q: What is white noise and why is it so helpful to new babies?
A: Just as white light is a mix of all the colors of light (that’s why light can be turned into a rainbow by a crystal or prism), white noise is a mix of high and low pitched rumbles and whooshes. This imitates the sound that babies hear inside the womb – 24/7 -of blood whooshing through the placenta It is a powerful way of turning on the calming reflex.
The Happiest Baby “Super-Soothing” Sleep CD is a favorite of many parents because it is easy to use in the car (to prevent fussing) and it helps babies sleep well even on vacations or trips to grandma.
To calm crying and colic you need to use the right type of white noise. It should be a rough and as loud as a vacuum cleaner. To boost sleep, however, the sound should be a bit quieter, just as loud as a shower, but still rough, like the womb or hairdryer sound (milder sounds, like the hum of a fan or the sound of ocean waves, are often too soft to be effective).
Q: How does white noise help a infant sleep and how long should it be used?
A: Dr. Karp recommends that parents use white noise whenever their baby is sleeping… naptime and all night. It is very helpful not only during the 1st months of life, but all the way up to the 1st birthday… and beyond!
The right type of white noise can instantly add 1-3 hours to a swaddled baby’s sleep. It works 3 different ways: 1) it turns on thecalming reflex; 2) it prevents the common sleep problems so common in babies 4-12 months of age by covering over outside commotion (planes, snoring, etc) and disturbing sensations inside the baby’s body (like teething or mild hunger); 3) it makes babies feel cozy, relaxed and sleepy, almost like an “auditory” teddy bear.
Better sleep is not only important for babies, moms who sleep well find breastfeeding easier and have less postpartum depression, marital stress, and are less likely to put their sleeping baby at risk by placing her on the stomach or falling asleep together on a couch.
Q: Can you train a new baby to sleep better?
A: Yes! Here’s what you do: When your baby is just 1-2 weeks old play the white noise CD in the background during the last feeding of the evening. Then, after the feeding, swaddle her snugly. This is a wonderful time of closeness. Rock and hold her as much as you want. Don’t worry if she falls asleep in your arms… enjoy it!
But, when you put her down in her crib…jostle her a little to slightly wake her up. Make sure she is well swaddled and the CD is still on (put it on “repeat” so it plays track 3,4 or 5 all night). Most babies just open their eyes a bit (they’re “drunk” from the milk) and fall right back to sleep…but if your baby starts to fuss just jiggle the crib with tiny (1-2 inch) fast movements for 20 seconds to settle her back to sleep.
After just a week or two of this routine your baby will automatically be better at sleeping and self-soothing.
Q: Can a baby get addicted to white noise?
A: Not at all!
White noise can be weaned anytime you want. Just gradually crank the volume down over a week or two… and your baby willeasily get used to sleeping in total silence.
Many parents use white noise in their child’s room for years…in fact many adults even like to sleep with white noise. Does that mean they are addicted to it? No. Sleeping with white noise is no different than preferring to sleep every night with a favorite pillow.
Q: We used the “Soothing-Sounds” Sleep CD to help our baby sleep for the first 12 months of life. Will it still help during the toddler years or should we start weaning it?
A: Many parents use white noise to boost their children’s sleep. Even kids who’ve never heard white noise before, usually benefit from it.
Playing the right type of white noise – all night long – is a great way to help infants AND toddlers sleep better. It covers over the disturbing sounds (like, people talking and passing planes) and even throbbing teething pain that often wake a child up. And, it becomes a trustedcomfort that can immediately put a sleepy child into a relaxed “I’m ready for bed” mood. I like to think of white noise as a cozy, auditory “teddy bear.”
Use a slightly harsh sound (like tracks 3,4 or 5 of the “Super-Soothing” Sleep Sounds CD) played as loud as a shower – all night long. It can stop over 50% of night waking sleep problems in just a few nights…even in toddlers. And, when paired withThe Happiest Toddler technique of “patience stretching,” white noise can eliminate many cases of bedtime resistance fighting…without having to let your child cry it out!
Q: My 1-week-old baby struggles when I swaddle her… she seems to want her hands up. Do some kids just not like the wrapping?
A: Swaddling is the key to soothing a crying baby and helping your baby sleep… that’s why parents around the world have been doing it for thousands of years!
However, you may be fooled into thinking your baby doesn’t want to be wrapped because her initial response is to struggle against it. But don’t worry, Babies don’t have great arm control and often flail about when they have colic. Too many parents think that their baby’s struggle means that they need freedom. You may not want to be snugly wrapped, but most likely you wouldn’t like to live in a uterus either.
Of course, babies don’t really need freedom (they have so little of it in the womb). What new babies really need is security and reassurance and that is exactly what swaddling gives them.
Remember, babies are “snug as a bug” in the womb, and they love it. If your baby struggles against the blanket, just do the other S’s and you will quickly turn on her calming reflex. Being snuggly wrapped will then keep her soothed, prevent her from flailing and upsetting herself again…and keep her from accidentally rolling onto her stomach.
Q: Can swaddling a baby with arms down be bad?
A: Absolutely not. In fact, swaddling with the arms down is the way babies are wrapped all around the world. Swaddling with arms up is the best position for premature babies in the hospital (it helps them be more alert and may improve feeding). But, as soon as a baby (even a premature baby) goes home they stay calmer and sleep longer when wrapped with the arms down…at the sides.
Q: Does swaddling interfere with a baby’s motor development?
A: No, swaddling does not prevent development of sitting or crawling. Babies are usually swaddled during the sleep period only i.e. nighttime or nap time. Most big muscle activity is taking place during the day when the baby is not swaddled.
Native American tribes often swaddled their babies with the arms down until they were 6 months old and their children were well known for being brave, coordinated and independent.
: Does swaddling hurt hip development?
A: No, swaddling is perfectly fine for the hips… as long as you make sure to use a soft thin blanket and allow the hips to be a little bent. Never wrap your baby with the legs pressed together… or straightened (like on a rigid board).
Q: Some hospitals recommend that nothing be put in the baby’s crib, including blankets. What is your answer to this?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends against using bulky blankets, but they clearly state that thin blankets are acceptable (they prefer the blanket tucked in, but do allow swaddling). In fact, the AAP recommends swaddling in their book, “Guide to Your Child’s Sleep”. The Happiest Baby is also specifically recommended in the AAP’s new parent guide “Heading Home with Your Newborn.” A landmark medical study from Australia reported that swaddling can actually reduce the risk of SIDS by 1/3 (as long as the baby is not overheated or allowed to sleep on the stomach). Snug swaddling reduces SIDS 4 ways:
- Swaddling allows babies to sleep longer, but lighter (light sleep has been shown to lower the risk of SIDS). Swaddled babies may sleep lighter because the constant touching of the skin by the blanket is delicious continuous stimulation (like, tactile “white noise”).
- Swaddling helps keeps babies from accidentally rolling onto the stomach. Rolling onto the stomach during sleep greatly increases a baby’s risk of SIDS.
- Many exhausted parents place their babies to sleep on the stomach (even though they know they shouldn’t) because they are waking up too much on their backs. But, research now has proven that swaddled babies sleep just as well on their backs as un-swaddled babies sleep on the stomach! Hopefully, this will persuade some exhausted parents to stop their risky behavior.
- Babies who bed share may suffocate if they move around during the night and lodge their faces into pillows or comforters. Snug swaddling reduces a baby’s mobility and may help keep babies from wiggling into a dangerous situation.
Parents who swaddle should avoid 4 situations that might increase SIDS: 1) overheating (wrapped babies should be dressed lightly in warm weather and parents should check them after they’ve fallen asleep. Hot ears and sweaty necks are a sign of overheating and these babies should be wrapped only in a diaper and have a fan or air conditioning …or not be wrapped at all); 2) bulky, thick blankets (they’re a suffocation hazard); 3) face covering (with hats, loose sheets or blankets); 4) stomach sleeping.
Q: Can swinging aggravate a baby’s acid reflux?
A: Swinging is done in a semi upright position which may lessen reflux. Swinging can also help by calming crying. Infant crying causes tightening of the stomach muscles and more reflux.
Swinging movement does not increase spitting up it actually allows burps to jiggle out without letting all the milk escaping.
Q: Can a baby get addicted to swaddling? When and how should a baby be weaned from the swaddling?
A: Swaddling is recommended until at least 4 months. Many babiesare ready by that age, however, some benefit from an extra few months of swaddling.
Here’s the general approach: At 4 months, try to swaddle with one arm out (it’s important to keep the white noise playing all night). If your baby sleeps well with one arm out, you can stop the wrapping (but still continue the sound). However, if he does not sleep as well with one arm out, continue with the regular wrapping and sound and try the one arm wrapping again in another month.
The white noise I is continued until at least the 1st birthday! It is super-helpful in preventing the sleep problems from teething, growth spurs and first colds that are so common around 6-12 months.
For detailed information on how to wean your baby off the 5 S’s please read the step-by-step directions in the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block.
Q: Our 5-month old baby loves swaddling, but recently she started to wiggle loose. What can we do to make it work again?
A: Please make sure you are using white noise all night (this will keep you baby more relaxed) and double check your wrapping technique with the DVD to make sure you are swaddling the baby snugly, arms down, so she can’t pop out too easily. Also, make sure that the blanket is still big enough for the last part of the wrap to go all the way around and tuck in front (as shown in the swaddling demonstration on the DVD). If the blanket is wrapped too loose or too small it may actually make your baby fuss more. (The blanket should be about 44 inch square.)
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