Thank you Jo-Anne and Cynthia for your comments about my comments about
precision when doing the 5 S's.  I agree with both of you!!

Certainly Jo-Anne is right about the need for parents to have a
"creative spirit in which we approach children's needs", but it is
important to not that newborns are run much more by their reflexes and
automatic behaviors than children of any other age.  And it's a good
thing too!  Imagine having to teach your baby how to cry, poop or
swallow?  So these are all built into their nervous systems...as is the
calming reflex.

That's why precision is so important when you are teaching parents to
use the 5 S's.  For example, shushing works like a charm once you meet
the baby's level of cry...and then can be done more quietly.  And, some
babies won't calm if they are on their side turned a fraction of an inch
towards their stomach...but turn them a fraction of an inch towards
their stomach and they soothe in seconds!

And, Cynthia's experiences certainly are the same as mine...the 5 S's
work best when you start with swaddling and then move down the list.
And, as she has noticed so well, after a while parents come to realize
that their baby may respond best to sound or movement or sucking...and
after 10-15 times doing the 5 S's they realize that they just have to
swaddle and shush to turn their little baby's reflex on.

Interestingly, the more a parent practices the 5 S's the better she gets
at it...and the more she practices...the better the BABY gets at
responding.  (Just the way babies learn to open their mouths bigger and
longer after they've nursed for a week or two.)

Finally, this approach can be so helpful to breast feeding moms for many
reasons: 1) it helps latch on and let-down, 2) it helps sleep which
helps supply, 3) it lessens crying which makes moms (and families) doubt
the value of her milk (too thin, too rich, too little) and put pressure
on moms to switch to formula, 4) it helps dads feel like a part of the
team (dad's are great as the calming experts and moms as the feeding
experts) which makes them more supportive of breastfeeding, and 5) it
simply helps moms feel more competent which helps EVERYTHING!

So I apologize for being imprecise in my language...I was just trying to
be brief.

Thanks to all,

Harvey

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