The Happiest Baby on the Block summary

You know the knee-jerk reflex? Firmly tap your knee, right below the kneecap, and you’ll inadvertently kick your leg. This reflex obviously isn’t going to help you calm your baby. But another, equally reliable reflex will. Even the crankiest babies have a special calming reflex that protects them during pregnancy and continues to soothe them after they enter the world.

A baby’s calming reflex kicks into action during their last month in the womb, soothing the baby to prevent it from moving around too much. This is vital, since at this stage in the pregnancy the womb gets rather tight! If the baby keeps tossing and turning, it might get stuck in a position that threatens its life and the life of its mother during birth.

Swaddling your baby – the first S – is a simple way to trigger its calming reflex. And it’s surprisingly effective. But why? Well, by wrapping your baby tightly, you’re simulating the gentle, continuous pressure of the womb. Soothed and relaxed by this pressure, your baby will be more inclined to respond to further triggers.

But hold on – isn’t swaddling bad for your baby? Many parents, after seeing their crying baby writhing and flailing its arms, worry that swaddling is too constricting. (Swaddling has also been rumored to increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). But, on the contrary, research shows that SIDs risk is reduced if you swaddle your baby correctly.) All this squirming and flailing isn’t something that babies enjoy; they just can’t help it, and, in fact, it upsets them further. Swaddling your baby, and thus preventing movement, helps your baby feel safe again.

Did you know that the sound of blood rushing around the womb is louder than a vacuum cleaner? For babies, silence is a big contrast to what they’re used to – and it drives them crazy! Noise can actually calm babies down, especially sounds that mimic the whooshing of the womb.

Shushing – the third S– is a great way to do this. A sort of white noise you can make with your mouth, shushing is an essential part of calming a wailing baby. Start with a soft “shhh” sound and slowly raise your volume to meet the level of crying, and then lower your volume as your baby quiets down.

You’re close to mastering the art of triggering the calming reflex. There’s just one more S to cover. To ensure the calming reflex lasts and your baby doesn’t just start sobbing again, use sucking.

After all, for babies, to suck is to survive. Take care of nutritive sucking first. A baby needs to drink three ounces per pound of body weight. For an adult body, this would amount to gulping down gallons of milk every day! Breastfeeding is vital, and once your baby has got that down pat, start making use of pacifiers to calm your child between meals.