In my quest to read several baby-rearing books before the blessed event (see here), I've just finished my second, The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer.
I was reminded fairly soon into this book how important an author's voice is. For example, Harvey Karp, a pediatrician and the author of this book, struck me as an egotistical know-it-all. I kept having to remind myself to keep an open mind about his suggestions. Just because I didn't like his tone of voice didn't mean his tips weren't valid.
HBOTB focus almost exclusively on "fussy babies." A fussy baby was described as a one who screams uncontrollably for at least three hours a day, at least three days a week, for three weeks in a row. Wow -- that sounds extremely difficult to deal with! This book is intended almost solely for the parents of fussy babies (something that the title does not clarify).
The terms "colic" and "fussiness" were basically interchangeable, and the author spent quite a while discussing why none of the conventional explanations for colic (gas, mother's anxiety, prematurity, etc) are correct.
Instead, Dr Karp's theory is what he calls "The Fourth Trimester," in which he proposes that over the millenia of human evolution, babies were born earlier and earlier in order to make it possible for their ever-expanding heads to fit through the birth canal. Fast forward to modern times, and babies are born approximately three months too early, and are technically still fetuses for the first three months.
I'm not sure anthropologists would necessarily agree with him, but this is his explanation for why newborn human babies are unable to smile, interact directly with people, stick to a schedule, soothe themselves, sleep through the night, etc., until they are several months old. Therefore, Dr Karp stresses the need to recreate the womb environment during those first months, especially if babies seem to be having a hard time adjusting to the outside world. For example, his 5 S's:
- Swaddling (very tightly)
- Side/Stomach position (where babies apparently feel most secure)
- Shhhhhh-ing (very loudly)
- Swinging (very vigorously)
- Sucking
After finishing the book, I believe the subtitle is inaccurate. Only one chapter at the very end dealt specifically with sleep schedules. Also, it really only discussed fussy babies, which the author readily admits is not typical.
While I ardently hope that Otto is not a fussy baby, it was nice to be given some specific tips on how to deal with out-of-control screaming. It's bound to happen every once in a while, even if Otto is the most mellow of babies.
Next book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby.
1 comment:
I watched a HBOTB movie and found his suggestions almost as tools in the mom toolbox, like you mentioned. Good things to know if you're going through a fussy day, but hopefully nothing you'll need regularly. Prayers that Otto will be mellow!
You will def. like HSHHB. You'll also probably get through it pretty quickly, as he breaks sleep development down into several month segments, so all you'll really have to read through is the intro, first couple of chapters of explanation, and then months 1 to 4. I found myself returning to this book over and over again through the first two years of my children's lives! It is epic!
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