I'm not sure how many of you have heard about Dr Harvey Karp? He's a paediatrician from the states who wrote a book called The Happiest Baby on the Block.

He also has a video out on iTunes showing you how to settle a baby.

http://happiestbaby.com

Here he is on Dr Phil talking about the 5 S's.

So what are his 5 S's?

Swaddling - wrapping tightly particularly the arms

Shushing - white noise or a loud shush

Sucking - dummy/pacifier

Side laying (only for settling), all sleeping is back laying

Swinging aka motion, rocking etc.

https://youtu.be/a_64-LbhT3M

However as anyone nowadays is on the internet he is not without his critics!

http://www.regardingbaby.org/2012/05/05/is-the-happiest-baby-on-the-block-the-most-oppressed-why-im-not-a-fan-of-the-5-s-method-of-calming-crying-babies/

Dr Ronald Barr so wisely said,

"This should not be a surprise; after all, babies are not machines, and do not act like machines. The problem is, of course, that programs that claim to be successful, especially when you “do it right,” can raise expectations that you should be able to soothe your infant. Then, if you can’t, and the infant continues to cry, you can feel even worse than you felt from the crying alone, because you have now “failed” somehow. The saddest thing is to hear about parents who say, even when they have done all the things they were promised would work, but their baby keeps crying, “I feel like such a failure.” Ronald G. Barr, MDCM, FRCP(C)