The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD)

Then I searched Amazon one night under "Colic" and found this book and video. Even though we have absolutely no time to read, we did watch the video (while she wailed). My husband tried the swaddling and shhing techniques that night and she quieted down after about 10 minutes. Now 1 week later she calms after 5 min or so AND she is sleeping 4 hours at a time. We feel great and she finally looks peaceful - and not agitated.

Both the book and video are geared toward the first 3 months of life.... and the notion that most babies 1st 3 months of life are really the 4th trimester in their developement. Our first child slept soundly from day one..... but we were blown away with this second one. Thank you Dr. Karp! We finally feel like humans again and the stress level in our home has dropped tremendously.


NEW solutions for crying, difficult babies   July 31, 2004
 65 out of 69 found this review helpful

Raised 3 kids, thought I knew most of the techniques for ssothing babies, helping them through rough days (colic, teething, fussy times). But this video brings NEW research and tips to make life easier for parents of new babies...and if you're an aunt or grandparent, you'll learn something new too. SOme of the suggestions are simply amazing, making specific sounds gently into the baby's ears and seeing an instant, peaceful transformation.
Many of these suggestions come from looking at life from the baby's perspective and, in retrospect, seem like common sense (but not as easy as it sounds, otherwise there'd be no need for this video). Well worth your viewing time and could bring relief to many an exhausted parent (and baby).


Unbelievable: common sense solutions for crying babies!   September 23, 2003
 29 out of 32 found this review helpful

Dr. Karp applied common sense to the "problem" of crying babies that most new parents face, by borrowing from traditions being used around the world to calm babies down as if you had "flipped a switch." He acknowledges the existence of a 'fourth trimester', i.e. the first three months of the baby's life and the need to use techniques to make the baby feel as in the mother's womb to calm him/her down, appealing to their calm reflex.

These techniques are summarized as the five S's: Swaddling (very tight, to resemble the tight environment of the uterus), Side or Stomach position (otherwise known as the football hold), Shushing (as loud as the baby cries), Swinging (making the head jiggle slightly, to replicate the mom's movements with the baby in her tummy) and Sucking (with your finger, or a pacifier in place).

As intuitive or odd these techniques may sound to you, you need to view this video: it will probably make the difference for you as it has for so many parents. As I write this, we're in our last couple of weeks of pregnancy, and we're ready to apply them to our upcoming baby boy.


Works only if...   June 16, 2006
 16 out of 17 found this review helpful

We're using these techniques on our second child and it works. However, it only works if you do them like the DVD shows you. I've had friends that see the movie, think it's great, but somehow missed it when it came to applying it to their screaming infant. Then they complain about what to do with their child, and say, "We just have to find what works".

You have to figure out which combination of the 5 "S's" work, or maybe you need all them. It varies on the day. But if you do them like the DVD shows you, then it does work. After all, the infants in the DVD are not acting. Every one of them is screaming, and they stop! They are all from different families and races.


A "Must-Have" For Every New Parent   July 30, 2002
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

This video is amazing! The companion book is very interesting and helpful, especially with the background and medical research that underlie the techniques in the video. But for new parents, the video is an absolute god-send! It is enormously helpful to see Dr. Karp apply his techniques to a dozen screaming babies, and calm each of them within seconds! Watching the video really brings home the point that calming babies is not a hit-or-miss exercise, but a REFLEX that anyone can learn to trigger. And for stressed out new parents, watching the video is simple, easy and clear. My three-year-old even mastered the technique and regularly applies it to her dollies. Really, if you have a fussy baby, or are looking for a baby gift that will be used and appreciated, the video and book are a must.