5 S's Baby Calming

A simple but effective method for calming crying babies in their first 3 months, focusing on specific physical techniques.

Core Components

• Swaddle

  • Must be extremely tight - "tighter than you think"
  • Should feel like a "straight jacket" level of tightness
  • Much tighter than most parents initially assume is safe

• Side Position

  • Hold baby on their side
  • Lift them up to your ear level

• Shush

  • Make loud shushing sounds directly in baby's ear
  • Volume should be surprisingly loud
  • May seem too loud at first but it's what babies are used to hearing
  • Usually stops crying within 20 seconds

Key Success Factors

• Don't be afraid of making the swaddle too tight

  • Common mistake is being too gentle
  • Babies need the security of tight swaddling

• Trust the loud shushing

  • Parents often worry it's too loud
  • Baby won't be hurt by the volume
  • Mimics sounds they're familiar with

Results

• Works specifically for 0-3 month old babies
• Can calm crying quickly (within ~20 seconds)
• Proven effective despite seeming counterintuitive to new parents

Note: This method was shared by Sam Parr based on his personal experience as a new father, describing it as a surprisingly simple but highly effective approach.