The Happiest Baby on the Block : The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

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Summary: The baby book that you MUST read
Review: Dr. Karp's book is a lifesaver. After working with him to calm our daughter, we were able to enjoy her and not have to worry each day as we got closer to "the fussy" part of the day. Having the tools to calm her made us confident and in turn made her "The Happiest Baby on the Block!" I will be handing this book out at baby showers from now on. If you buy only one book about babies, this should be it!

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Summary: Changed our lives!
Review: My first baby was what I call a "high need" baby. As in he needed a lot of attention but as long as he was held he was happy. Then our second baby came and we felt like nothing we did helped. We had so many people trying to help. Our Grandmother saw an article in the paper about Dr Karp and clipped it for us and we quickly bought the book - we were willing to try ANYTHING. What relaxed me was not so much what Dr Karp said collic was but what he said it wasn't. I was able to relax, which left more energy for helping my baby relax. I was afraid I had left it to late as our baby was already almost 3 months old when I purchased this book but it made a HUGE difference and now that he is 6 months old I still use some of the techniques. My only regret about this book is that I didn't read it sooner. I am purchasing one for my pregnant sister! Thank you Dr Karp!

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Summary: A pseudoscientific pile of nonsense...
Review: ...sure, the therapy he offers will work for some kids...so will taking the baby for a car ride -- inconvenient but probably the most reliable old-fashioned method...but so will multiple other methods...one parent I knew put the baby in a laundry basket and set it on a running clothes washer -- she had to stand by for safety's sake but it worked quite rapidly...another parent found that a simple baby sling worked wonders...the point is -- keep it simple...first, determine whether the baby might be in real pain -- check for fever, bruises, difficulty breathing...rule out any obvious physical problems...check with your peditrician for advice...finally: experiment...try car rides, a walk outside, a warm bathe, music, whatever...you can probably find something just as effective as what this book offers.

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Summary: Works Wonders!!
Review: My son is not a colicy baby, but these techniques work anyway! I wish I had gotten this book before he was 2 1/2 months old...I would have gotten a lot more sleep!
They should send a copy home when you leave the hospital!
I'm going to buy this for every friend and relitive who's having babies.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of money and time, plus...
Review: OK, this book is:

A waste of money because it is common sense. Take it from the world's most clueless first-time mom, me. It is common sense to Shhh, and swaddle and rock.

A waste of time because he has about 5 points to make that take him way too many pages to get out. SO MUCH REPETITION of junk like how other cultures keep their babies swaddled and close for months, blah, blah, blah. Maybe it was interesting the first time he said it but by the 12th time, it was old and my baby was still fussing. And despite what anyone says, you can't wear your baby in a pouch and wash bottles at the same time.

Plus, what he leaves out is that you can do the technique and it will calm your baby...for like a minute or two! Then, you have to keep rocking/shhhing, etc. for hours on end, unless your baby, like mine, gets wise to your ways and refuses to be distracted for long.

As for advice, well, the vacuum worked OK but mostly it's a grin and bear it kind of thing and your baby will grow out of it. Mine did. Oh, and also don't believe him when he discards gastrointestinal problems as the cause of the fussing. My baby was allergic to milk proteins and soy, even though he did fine on regular formula for the 1st 2 weeks of his life. It took about a month on Nutramigen for him to stop being a monster and become just high-maintenance! But I love him!

Rating:
Summary: Must-read for every parent-to-be!!!
Review: This book was a life-saver for us. My son was diagnosed with "colic", and the techniques in this book helped us calm him right away. Unlike some other authors, Dr Karp is kind and advocates gentle, baby friendly techniques. I now buy this book for every expecting parent I know!

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Summary: Great method. This really does work!
Review: However, I agree with a couple of the other reviews that the book did not need to be as long as Karp made it. While I don't agree that the information could be put in a pamphlet b/c the details he provides for how the 5 Ss work are important, not everyone is as intersted in the why. If that's your issue too, skip to about page 90 or so. That being said, I have given this book as a shower gift twice now (along with extra long receiving blankets for swaddling). The 5 Ss saved our sanity those first 3 months! As for weaning your baby from swaddling, Karp says to let your baby wean himself. I promise your 18 year old will not come to you with a blanket asking to be swaddled!

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Summary: The answer we were looking for
Review: My husband and I took a Newborn Basics class before our son was born. Our instructor recommended Dr. Karp's book and showed us a brief clip from the DVD. When our son was about 3 weeks old - and he had hardly slept a wink since coming home from the hospital - I tried to remember the 5 "S's" we saw in class. It kind of worked, but I knew I needed to buy the book and really understand Dr. Karp's philosophy. We are now the proud parents of a well rested 4 month old who still enjoys a nice tight swaddle and the hum of his vaporizer. He takes two or three 2-hour naps and sleeps 10-11 hours at night. Not all babies are born knowing how to sleep, but they can easily be trained with the help of this book.

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Summary: Useful, but what he doesn't tell you is . . .
Review: Dr. Karp's tips, especially the 5 S's, are right on. They helped us a great deal with our colicky infant. But it takes him several hundred pages to present a few nuggets of wisdom. And those pages are not always easy or pleasant to read. New parents need succinct, practical advice, not page after page of theory and, "Some people think . . . but they're wrong!" Honestly, this would make a five-star pamphlet. What he should fill some of those pages with are tips on when and how to wean your baby off the 5 S's.

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Summary: The most important thing you will give your child: SLEEP
Review: Simply put, applying the principles of this book will ensure you a well-rested, happy child. IMPORTANT: If your child 'hates' swaddling, you are NOT doing it correctly (not tight enough, wrong size cloth {fabric swatches work fine}, etc). I swaddled my son for almost five months--and he was no weakling! He transitioned out of the "Five S's" easily, and now is a long-sleeping 2 year old.

Remember parents, healthy sleep habits must be taught--this is a perfect way to start.