Bringing home a new baby is the sweetest experience. However, it can feel incredibly overwhelming in the early days when your little one is inconsolable. Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of “The Happiest Baby on the Block,” has coined the revolutionary technique known as the Five S’s. These five magical techniques can help soothe and calm even the fussiest of babies!

1. Swaddling: The first of the Five S’s is swaddling, an incredibly helpful tool in calming infants! It mimics the snug, cozy feeling of being in the womb and helps reduce the startle reflex that often wakes babies up. Often times swaddling alone doesn’t calm babies, however when it is used in tandem with the other soothing techniques, it can be magic! The swaddle should be tight around the shoulders and arms and loose around their hips.
2. Side/Stomach Position: When babies are super fussy, holding them in a different position can help them calm down. Babies love to be held on their side in the football position or held with slight pressure on their bellies. This is best done when babies are swaddled, however it is only safe to hold babies like this when they are awake and should never be placed to sleep like this.
3. Shushing: Babies love the sound of white noise and shushing! It is calming to them because it mimics the blood flow they constantly heard inside their mother’s womb. Having a white noise machine in the nursery is beneficial to help babies calm down and stay asleep longer. If babies are especially fussy, it can also be helpful to hold the baby’s ear up to your mouth and loudly shhhhh. The key is to shhh louder than your baby’s cry! The distraction helps them reach a state of calm so they can settle themselves down. This combined with swaddling can be incredibly calming!
4. Swinging: Babies in the womb spend most of their days moving around and so they love swinging, bouncing, being rocked or jigged. It can be very calming to use the loud shushing in combination with very fast jiggling side to side. Swaddling plus movement can help babies relax and feel secure.
5. Sucking: The final S in Dr. Karp’s arsenal is sucking. Babies are born with a natural reflex to suck which is why feeding or giving a pacifier is so calming to them! Whether they are sucking on a nipple or bottle (nutritive sucking) or on a pacifier (non nutritive sucking), babies tend to calm down when they are using this reflex. It can be the icing on the cake for calming a fussy infant and is often what can calm an upset baby down enough to settle into sleep. Don’t worry about your baby getting addicted to a pacifier at this age. It is actually shown to reduce SIDS so feel free to encourage it! Sucking can also have a calming effect on the nervous system, releasing soothing hormones and promoting a sense of security.

Mastering the Five S’s can be a game-changer for parents! By combining swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking, you create an environment that closely resembles the womb, providing the security and familiarity your baby craves. Remember, every baby is unique, so it may take some experimentation to find the perfect combination that works for your little one. The key is to practice these methods when your baby is in a state of calm so that you’ll be ready to implement them in a time of fussiness. With some practice and perseverance these soothing techniques will be your new go-to for calming your little one!