The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD Review

Going to sleep is a challenge (to say the least) in our home. On average it was taking me 3+ hours to put Sweet Pea in her crib at night. Yawn. The doctor suggested the cry it out method and that was met with equal tears from her and me. We tried Daddy and a night time bottle but that was a NO GO. We tried noise machines, loveys, a fan and several other suggestions from friends and family all without success. So when The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD came in the mail I was thrilled. I had heard of Dr. Harvey Karp and the ‘5 S’ technique and had even tried some of the methods when Sweet Pea was first born. They had worked wonderfully early on so I was anxious to revisit and learn some new tips.

Tiny Baybah

The video is broken into chapters explaining 5 simple methods that will aide in soothing your baby. Dr. Karp suggests that a baby that follows these steps will gain an extra hour or 2 to his or hers night time sleep.

The 5 S Method:
• Swaddling
• Side or Stomach holding
• Shushing
• Swinging
• Sucking

Each chapter shows every technique several times with different babies. I found that it was extremely helpful to see the methods shown with repetition. I learned that combining these techniques will ensure the best level of success. By using the 5 S’s you will be triggering your baby’s calming reflux. I would definitely recommend this video to anyone with a newborn. Dr. Harp offers a book website and DVD for parents to utilize. I recommend the DVD over the book so you can see the methods in action. Normallly, I would promote reading but as you already know or will soon find out time is not on your side once that little bundle reaches the outside world. I especially liked learning how to swaddle correctly and that shushing your baby doesn’t have to be a sweet soft sound. Sounds funny I know but your baby is used to a very loud environment so the shushing needs to be nice and loud. 🙂 It works! There is also a Q & A section on the DVD that I found helpful answering questions from real moms with real concerns.

I give this DVD: 4 out of 5 stars. I wish there was a section of the video that addressed an older baby. I felt that I could have used a few more advanced techniques to help calm my older baby. Sweet Pea was six months already when I received this DVD and she was right at the edge of this either working or not. For her the thought of swaddling was so foreign, I hadn’t swaddled her since she was just weeks old. So Sweet Pea just couldn’t handle the containment. I did give it a try for a week but decided that for us the 4 S method was going to have to work. Dr. Harp specifically talks about not giving up on swaddling and to keep with it. However, I am a huge believer in finding what works for you and your baby. In addition, Sweet Pea like I mentioned above was already 6 months old so I felt that she was a bit old to be swaddled. So the 4 S method it is and we have been having a much easier and more relaxing bedtime since. With that said I did find this video very helpful. I no longer have anxiety about bedtime wondering how long it will take. I now know that bedtime from start to finish will take an hour. This includes bath, story, and a feeding. Now that is much better!

Sweet Peas recipe for success:

• Swaddling- sleep sac
• Side or Stomach hold- side
• Shushing- bathroom fan sometimes left on all night
• Swinging- rocking in the rocking chair and jiggling
• Sucking- pacifier is used sometimes and for sleep only

The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD is available at Amazon.com.  There you can also find the Happiest Toddler on the Block DVD.

 

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above for the purpose of review.  No compensation was provided to me.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.