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The Happiest Baby on the Block [Paperback]

Harvey Karp M.D.
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (259 customer reviews)
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Book Description

May 27 2003
Perfect for expecting parents who want to provide a soothing home for the newest member of their family, The Happiest Baby on the Block, the national bestseller by respected pediatrician and child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp, is a revolutionary method for calming a crying infant and promoting healthy sleep from day one.

In perhaps the most important parenting book of the decade, Dr. Harvey Karp reveals an extraordinary treasure sought by parents for centuries—an automatic “off-switch” for their baby’s crying.

No wonder pediatricians across the country are praising him and thousands of Los Angeles parents, from working moms to superstars like Madonna and Pierce Brosnan, have turned to him to learn the secrets for making babies happy.

Never again will parents have to stand by helpless and frazzled while their poor baby cries and cries. Dr. Karp has found there IS a remedy for colic. “I share with parents techniques known only to the most gifted baby soothers throughout history …and I explain exactly how they work.”

In a innovative and thought-provoking reevaluation of early infancy, Dr. Karp blends modern science and ancient wisdom to prove that newborns are not fully ready for the world when they are born. Through his research and experience, he has developed four basic principles that are crucial for understanding babies as well as improving their sleep and soothing their senses:

The Missing Fourth Trimester: as odd as it may sound, one of the main reasons babies cry is because they are born three months too soon.

The Calming Reflex: the automatic reset switch to stop crying of any baby in the first few months of life.

The 5 “S’s”: the simple steps (swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking) that trigger the calming reflex. For centuries, parents have tried these methods only to fail because, as with a knee reflex, the calming reflex only works when it is triggered in precisely the right way. Unlike other books that merely list these techniques Dr. Karp teaches parents exactly how to do them, to guide cranky infants to calm and easy babies to serenity in minutes…and help them sleep longer too.

The Cuddle Cure: the perfect mix the 5 “S’s” that can soothe even the most colicky of infants.

In the book, Dr. Karp also explains:

What is colic?

Why do most babies get much more upset in the evening?

How can a parent calm a baby—in mere minutes?

Can babies be spoiled?

When should a parent of a crying baby call the doctor?

How can a parent get their baby to sleep a few hours longer?

Even the most loving moms and dads sometimes feel pushed to the breaking point by their infant’s persistent cries. Coming to the rescue, however, Dr. Karp places in the hands of parents, grandparents, and all childcare givers the tools they need to be able to calm their babies almost as easily as…turning off a light.

Frequently Bought Together

The Happiest Baby on the Block + The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night + Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Price For All Three: CDN$ 39.68

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Karp, a pediatrician in Santa Monica, Calif., and assistant professor at the School of Medicine, UCLA, offers a new method to calm and soothe crying infants. While nursing or being held satisfies some babies, others seemingly cry for hours for no reason. These babies suffer from what Karp calls the Fourth Trimester. When you bring your soft, dimpled newborn home from the hospital, you may think your nursery is a peaceful sanctuary.... To him, it's a disorienting world part Las Vegas casino, part dark closet! Karp recommends a series of five steps designed to imitate the uterus. These steps include swaddling, side/stomach position, shhh sounds, swinging and sucking. The book includes detailed advice on the proper way to swaddle a child, the difference between a gentle rocking versus shaking and more. According to the author, virtually all babies will respond to these strategies although some trial and error may be needed to find the most effective calming method. A number of the steps letting kids nurse more frequently or encouraging babies to use pacifiers, for instance contradict other childcare experts. However, parents who are at their wits' ends because of a baby's incessant crying will find this book invaluable. In fact, expectant parents may want to read it before they bring their newborns home from the hospital.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A must read! Dr. Karp offers insights into parenting by combining ancient and modern wisdom. Our baby boy responded to the 5 S’s immediately!" --Keely and Pierce Brosnan, TV journalist/environmentalist and actor

"Harvey writes about areas that most parenting books don’t address. What every mother needs are simple tools that really work . . . and Harvey’s do." —Michelle Pfeiffer, actress/producer

"A witty and masterful book bursting with wisdom from start to finish. It contains some of the best, most original ideas about new babies I have ever seen. Dr. Karp entertains as he teaches, providing wonderful and innovative suggestions in a family-friendly way." —James McKenna, Ph.D., chairman, Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, and director, Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory

"What a marvelous book! Parents for years to come will be grateful to Dr. Karp for this lucid and entertaining explanation of why babies cry and how to help them." —Martin Stein, M.D., Professor of pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Medical School, author of Encounters with Children: Pediatric Behavior and Development

"Harvey Karp is the type of pediatrician that every parent would want. His experience is beyond compare and his ability to relate to parents is impressive. The Happiest Baby on the Block has the perfect solutions for helping parents grow and thrive . . . along with their babies." —Sandra Apgar Steffes, R.N., M.S., member, Board of Directors, Lamaze International

"There is nothing quite like watching Dr. Harvey work wonders on a screaming baby. He’s not a pediatrician, he’s a magician. Every time I bring my kids in to see him, I walk out wishing he was their father." —Larry David, star of Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm and co-creator of Seinfeld

"The Happiest Baby on the Block is fun, fascinating and convincing. I highly recommend it to all new parents to help them accomplish one of their most important jobs…soothing their crying baby." -Elisabeth Bing, author and co-founder of Lamaze International

"Simply put, this is the best book I've ever read about keeping babies calm and happy. It is a must for everyone who cares about infants." -William Lord Coleman, MD, Center for Development and Learning, University of North Carolina, author of Family-Focused Behavioral Pediatrics

"Dr. Karp’s practical approach is a superb way to help babies when they are crying or upset. All who care for children will gain greatly from this new addition to our parenting library." -- Steven P. Shelov, M.D., Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn, Maimonides, editor-in-chief, American Academy of Pediatrics Caring for Your New Baby and Young Child: Birth to Five

"This beautifully written volume meets a tremendous need for a scientifically sound and effective parent guide to the care of persistently crying babies. Dr. Karp has written the best book that I've read on this challenging topic." -Morris Green, M.D., Perry W. Lesh Professor of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine

"Dr. Karp's 'Cuddle Cure' is quite simply the best way I know to calm crying babies." -Stanley Inkelis, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Hospital

"Dr. Karp's book is extraordinary. The advice contained in this book, will make any parent, or grandparent, feel like a baby expert." —Neal Kaufman, M.D., M.P.H., Professor Of Pediatrics, UCLA School Of Medicine, Director Primary Care Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

"The 'Karp Wrap’ can stop a baby’s cries instantly!" —Lynn Sullivan, RN, Director, Newborn Nursing Services, SM-UCLA Hospital

"Dr. Karp was exactly the doctor to see us through parenthood. He has the magic touch – not just with babies, but with new parents too." —Robin Swicord and Nicholas Kazan, screenwriters of Matilda, Reversal of Fortune and Practical Magic

"I wish I had known Dr. Karp for my first two children. With the soothing, loving tips in this book, caring for my two most recent babies has been a dream." —Hunter Tylo, actress/founder of Hunter’s Chosen Child

"Dr. Karp is simply the best. Any time a problem pops up in our children, he guides us with warmth, wisdom and humor. And that helps us sleep better at night." —Jerry Zucker, director of Airplane, Ghost, and Rat Race

"Harvey Karp’s enlightened and creative approach has been a benefit not only to our children, but to my wife and me as parents." —Kristen and Lindsey Buckingham, photographer and singer-songwriter, Fleetwood Mac

"Harvey Karp would make my Big Mama proud! He is leading us back to ages old basics, back to motherwit." —Alfre Woodard, actress


Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
Suzanne was worried and exhausted. Her two-month-old baby, Sean, was a nonstop screamer. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!! Jun 12 2004
Format:Paperback
I have a 6 week old baby girl who is right at the height of her colicky phase. Last night even the 5 S's (which normally work fabulously) were only working temporarily, so I decided to try something drastic. Since I really needed to vacuum, I decided to combine the two efforts and see what happened. Since Dr. Karp says that cultures who "wear" their babies rarely have problems with colic, I purchased one of those baby slings. I put her in it and got the vacuum out and proceeded to vacuum. Within about 15 seconds she was asleep and stayed asleep the entire hour it took to vacuum, complete with all the movement that comes with the task. The only precaution I had to take was to make sure I didn't hit something with her, since she was an extention of my body. If anyone needed more proof of the 4th Trimester theory, HERE IT IS!! Save yourself a lot of heartache, and buy and read this book before your baby is born!
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars So much hype, so little help April 1 2004
Format:Paperback
I asked for this book for my shower because a lot of moms on a discussion forum I read raved about it. Just a few pages into it, I wondered if there was really any need to read the entire book. The other mommies assured me it was worth it.

I am not convinced.

There is absolutley nothing in this book that is in any way a breakthrough in the area of baby care. Swaddling, swinging, shushing, sucking, and stomach positioning to calm a baby are all as old as the hills. Some of these have fallen in and out of fashion at one point or another, but none of these tips are so unique that they can't be found as helpful suggestions in other parenting guides or by asking older parents... (I can't even begin to count the number of times my mother or father has suggested I calm my extremely fussy baby by "Try putting him on his belly" or "Why don't you give him a binky?")

This book suffers from a number of flaws.

1. I can't even begin to say how irritated I am that the author claims to have found a "new" way to calm fussy babies.

2. This book would be nice as a PAMPHLET handed out at the hospital to new parents... it should NOT be a book. My original impression that this book is extremely repetitive was correct. It's not so much that none of these methods work, it's just that all can be explained very quickly. It does not take a full length book. Luckily, I read this book before my baby got here - any parent already dealing with a fussy or colicky baby would be at their wits end trying to read this entire book. (Therein lies the irony of childcare help books... those who need them the most don't have the time or ability to read them!!!)

3. The methods do NOT work for all babies and despite Karp's claim that colic does not even exist in some cultures due to parents using his methods... Colic does NOT always respond to these methods. Living with my baby was agony for the first few months. It didn't matter what I tried - days and evenings were horrible. Anyone who claims to have a cure for colic has clearly never really dealt with colic! What seemed to matter more to my baby was the clock... once 11pm hit, swaddled and nursed, he would sleep well at night. Between 6am and 11pm, though, it didn't matter WHAT I tried, he was fussy and needed to be held and nursed constantly. I could nolt put him down no matter what I tried. There was no magic "off switch," despite Karp's claims.

In short, this book was a waste of my time. Skim it in a bookstore if you wish, but do not spend your money.

In response to others claims that babies can become hooked on the methods in this book... I don't think this is a serious issue. We swaddled at night until my baby was big and strong enough to weasle his way out of his wrappings, no matter how many diaper pins I tried to fasten him with. Once he was too big to swaddle, he had no problems sleeping at night. (I mean, at 4 1/2 months he has yet to sleep through the night, but he sleeps no differently unswaddled than swaddled...)

Maybe some babies require the calming methods a little longer than others, but sooner or later they should all outgrow them... I hope!

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4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for new parents Jun 9 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a mom of a second baby, I still found this book informative and a great reinforcer of some basic tips to calm a newborn in the first few months. Along with the baby whisperer books, I would recommend this as another mom textbook to have handy or to give as a gift. With all these books, you should be able to navigate the first few months with your baby to the best of your abilities.
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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
My daughter in law filled this book and out grand daughter was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. We are anxious to see if it works on their next child.
Published 27 days ago by Lorraine Manz
3.0 out of 5 stars Was disappointed
It is a typical American book where one idea gets repeated 100 times for readers to grasp it. He repeats the idea of five S's for the first 80% of the book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by NataliaV
5.0 out of 5 stars fin des crises
Les crises que les parents ne sont pas capable d'arrêter, en fin de soirée surtout, seront terminées avec les conseils de Dr Karp. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mélissa
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
I love the approach of this book... Common sense, and easy to read.
Several times while reading, we were both like,
"Huh, I never thought about it that way"
We don't... Read more
Published 2 months ago by emma
5.0 out of 5 stars Great point of view!
I loved this book! It was recommended to me by my cousin who just had a baby. She said the methods in The Happiest Baby on the Block worked wonders for her little girl. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Chandra0310
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading for a Noob, not Essential for Experienced Parents...
This book contains a lot of simple and easy to assimilate information on how to cope with your newborn. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Another mom had recommended this book to me as I am a new mother. I really enjoyed the tips and such and found it very resourceful!
Published 4 months ago by Natalia
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for parents!!!! Please buy this book!!!!
Please buy this book, don't even hesitate. It will save you from tears of frustration if your baby cries and cries and nothing consoles him/ her. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Melanie James
5.0 out of 5 stars A Mommy Superstar is Made!
I've always been great at calming my children and I found out it was because I was already using some of the techniques suggested in this book. Read more
Published 11 months ago by P. Stoesz
3.0 out of 5 stars might work for some, not for everyone
Our baby girl hated, and I mean HATED, being swaddled, so that voided a lot of the advice this book contains. Read more
Published 12 months ago by jrh
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