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Your baby is crying and it’s been 30 minutes or maybe more of trying to troubleshoot your baby with no success? I’ve been there and boy is it exhausting! Next time try using the 5 S’s techniques to soothe your little one.
The first time I heard about the 5 S’s was the day we got discharged from the hospital, a pediatrician came to check on baby L and gave us some tips on how to manage a fussy baby.
I can’t tell you enough how amazing these techniques really are. For a first time parent, people throw at you so much information that it becomes a little overwhelming and frankly half the stuff people suggested was going into one ear and out the other because I was so sleep deprived. I don’t know if it was the way the pediatrician explained it or the fact that it has a catchy and distinguished name but these bundle of techniques were pretty much the only information I was able to retain before leaving the hospital.
#1 swaddle
Wrap your baby up like a tight burrito, make sure they are snug so the Moro reflex doesn’t get triggered.
There are so many ways to swaddle your baby! M and I were taught the most common swaddle technique at hospital but while M was an expert and would always make a tight swaddle with using that technique, I was never able to get the swaddle tight enough and baby L would get out of it most of the time.
Like all things baby related, sometimes you just have to come up with your own version that works best for you so that’s what I did.
If you have your swaddle technique down, good job! Keep on reading; but if you’re like me and are struggling to make that swaddle tight, here is a guide to how I swaddle baby L in a tight swaddle burrito that lasts throughout the night.
#2 Side/ Stomach position
Lay your baby on his/her side or on his/her tummy against your body. We used lay baby L on his side facing away from us when he was a newborn but now he seems to like to be facing our body. You can also place you baby on your shoulder which also works just make sure to support his head.
#3 Shush
Oh the magical “shush” sound…at first I felt bad for loudly shushing my baby but to him it was such a familiar sound that he immediately got quiet and started listening to it. Little did I know the shushing sound I was making reminded him of the sound my blood made while he was in the womb!
DON’T BE AFRAID to go louder with the shushing! The sounds our bodies made while they were in the womb were extremely loud so match that shushing sound to your baby’s cry so it can sooth him/her. As they quiet down, so should you.
I also turn off any other stimulating elements such as the light or the TV but I keep the Hatch Rest white noise machine on. I keep that bad boy in the background on the actual white noise setting to provide baby L with a soothing environment. I start with the white light but as baby L calms down, I change it to the red light setting to stimulate baby L’s body to produce melatonin to help him fall asleep.
#4 Swing
Movement is your friend! Make sure to support that beautiful head and neck of your baby and sway back and forth (DON’T SHAKE! NEVER SHAKE your baby because it can lead to brain damage).
Play with the movement, some babies like to be swayed, and some like a little bounce to be in the mix. See what works for your baby. Start small and increase the pace as needed.
#5 Sucking
The sucking technique! Sucking on something soothes babies. They used to do it in the womb so it’s no surprise babies have that instinct to self-soothe.
After you have done all the steps above, introduce your clean pinky if breastfeeding has not been established or a pacifier once breastfeeding has been established. By this point, your baby should be somewhat calm and the pacifier will help him/her drift into sleep
According to Dr. Harvey Karp, the pediatrician who came up with the 5S’s method, in order for these techniques to work they have to be followed in order.
I unintentionally tested this theory because I forgot the order at first (oops!) and he’s absolutely right! The first time it took me forever to get baby L to calm down, after I realized I had two of the S’s mixed up (don’t introduce the pacifier if your baby is screaming his head off, he’ll just spit it right out and continue to scream even louder, calm your baby first with the first 4 S’s…lesson learned!).
I have to warn you though! Sometimes the 5 sanity saving S’s don’t work and you just have to ride the struggle bus until your baby has had enough. Having a baby screaming and crying for hours is never fun and it takes a huge toll not only on the baby but also on us parents. If you need a 10 minute break it’s ok to ask for help or to place your baby in a safe place and walk away for a little.
Remember to be kind to yourself too! If you need to reset yourself, go reset yourself! Your baby will thank you even though they’re screaming their little heads off.