The 5s's- Soothing Your Infant

It’s no secret that young babies can be hard to console at times. Some babies remain in the potato stage longer than others, where you can essentially place them down anywhere and they’ll peacefully sleep. Others are more alert early on. If you have a child, you’ve probably been there; your new baby just won’t settle no matter if you’ve swaddled them, fed them, changed them, and you’re EXHAUSTED!

This is where the 5s’s, created by Dr. Harvey Karp, comes in. I learned about the 5s’s before I became a sleep consultant, and I can personally tell you from experience that this does work.

The 5s’s stand for; Swaddle, Side, Shush, Swing/Sway, Suck. When implemented in this order, any baby can be soothed.

Swaddle:

First, you want to swaddle your baby to create a tight, secure, womb-like experience. Swaddling muffles the startle reflex and extends sleep.

Side

Next, turn your baby onto their side while holding them in your arms. Turn them in a way so they are not staring at your face or at other stimulating items such as lights.

Shush

I always enourage parents to use white noise to improve their child’s sleep. The womb is a noisy environment and silence can be startling. Make a constant shushing sound or use a white noise machine to calm your baby.

Sway

With your child turned on it’s side facing away from you, swaddled, and with white noise playing, support their neck and head, and gently sway or rock you baby. In the womb, babies are accustomed to mom’s hips moving. Keep movements small.

Suck

A baby’s need to suckle is strong. A pacifier or a finger placed in baby’s mouth can make all the difference!

Before even implementing the 5s’s or getting to the point of having an overtired baby, pay attention to sleep cues such as staring off into space. Once you’re child yawns, it’s time to take action by settling them down and using the 5s’s as described above. Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep trying and you will succeed!