I'm a little bit surprised by this.  I just wanted to clarify some things
about Karp's methods (at least the way that I implement them).

In no way, shape, or form am I trying to shut up or shut down a baby when I
soothe them.  Of course I do look for a reason for the unhappiness.  I think
most parents genuinely want to make their babies happy, not just shut them
up so they can move on with their lives.

I don't think Karp really believes that babies should sit in a swing and
suck a binky all the time.

When Karp talks about sucking, it doesn't just mean binky sucking... it can
mean breast sucking.  ANd when I swaddle babies, I swaddle them with their
hands up near their faces/mouths.  I do NOT swaddle with arms strapped down
to sides.  The only population of babies that swaddle with arms in are the
drug withdrawal babies.  Those infants simply canNOT have their hands near
their faces.  If they touch their faces, it completely overstimulates them
and they scream ballistically.  Once they are on morphine doses that make
them comfortable, then they can tolerate that kind of stimulation.

One of the biggest problems, as I see it, is that our society has ruined
"intuition" or "mother wisdom" for so many young girls and women.  Females
have been taught to look outside themselves for all of life's answers
instead of inward... to distrust the instincts that they were born with and
look for all of their answers from doctors and other people.  And as another
poster stated, perhaps part of it stems from the disrespect they were shown
as infants themselves.  Unfortunately, for these women, they NEED some
guidance, because they just don't have a clue, they haven't had a good
example, and they don't trust any of their own instincts.  For them, Karp's
methods can be a true help.

I think that what we NEED to be doing is teaching women how to listen to
their inner voices and spirits, if you will.  And we need to teach society
to be more respectful of newborns and their needs.  Many women must work.
They have other children to care for and no support system in place at all.
Their spouses may work long hours and as a result, they are forced to go
right back to laundry and dishes and housework and such right after they've
had a baby.  I think that if many of these women were ALLOWED to have a
babymoon, many of them WOULD just nurse their babies all the time.  But
unfortunately, our society has completely thrown away the notion that
mothers and infants need TIME together...uninterrupted TIME.  Anymore, for
many mothers, it's a luxury.

I don't think babies should be shut down or shut up and put in a corner to
suck a binky and soothe themselves.  I don't think most mothers want that.
I think Dr. Karp is wonderful for giving some women the guidance they
lack... and for helping mothers to see that they have the ability to calm
their infants without the need for gadgets and newfangled objects... just a
soothing voice, a warm breast, and holding close.  I agree... they could
probably do without certification courses and such.  And yes, Karp is making
money on this...

But he's reeducating... as I stated above, he is teaching something that
used to be instinctual.  Childbirth educators make money too... teaching
something that used to be instinctual... teaching something that women never
needed to hire people for because they had women around them to guide them.
Lactation consultants make money too... teaching something that used to be
instinctual.  And yes, I realize that LCs are also very well trained at
breastfeeding PROBLEMS as well and I respect that... but many LCs also spend
a GREAT deal of time teaching normal mothers with normal babies to engage in
normal breastfeeding... again, something mothers never needed to hire people
for in the past because they had women around them to guide them and mentor
them.  So I don't think Karp is all that different.

I'm glad someone is teaching mothers of today to rethink the notion that
babies need to cry and need to be left alone.  I commend Karp for helping
some mothers to listen to their infants.

Christina Harris, RN
Seattle, WA

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