shush
I accompanied Janet to antenatal (or prenatal for my USian pals) class again this afternoon, and it was an interesting session, all about calming babies down when they're crying. The talk was based on the five S's of Dr. Harvey Karp: Swaddling, Side/Stomach Placement, Shushing, Swinging, and Sucking. I'd previously read and heard about swaddling, but we got to actually practice with "stunt babies" (we were encouraged to bring a soft toy the size of a baby, but they had plenty of baby dolls there, so we used one instead). Janet and I both did the Down-Up-Down-Up manoeuvre; it was a bit awkward at first, but by the end we were getting better, and (hopefully) we'll continue to improve with real-life practice once the little one arrives.
With Side/Stomach Placement, you actually hold the baby in the reverse breast-feeding position, supporting their head with your left hand, and letting them rest slightly on their stomach over your left forearm, kind of like holding a(n American) football (and I of course had to mime those movements, with my right palm out to defend against linebackers; Janet was only slightly amused).
But what was really interesting was Shushing, that if babies are crying, you make this white noise sound in their ear, and it replicates sounds they experienced in the womb. It was amazing to watch the video of him doing this, and the babies' eyes would get real wide and they'd immediately quiet down. It seems a bit weird to shush loudly in your baby's ear, but it's hard to argue with the results.
On a side note, before the class, Janet's parents took us and her brother out for a dim sum brunch at Crystal Jade in the Vivo City mall; the food was amazing, but what struck me was the number of biracial families in the restaurant. At the table next to ours was a Chinese mother, Caucasian father, their son and daughter (who were both beautiful), and the mother's mother; the little girl at one point got a bit bored, and as the chairs were made of a slick leather, she decided to test its coefficient of friction by sliding slowly to the floor. By the time she was halfway under the table and giggling loudly, her grandmother tapped her on the shoulder and told her to sit back up in her chair. I remember both me and my sister Kristin doing this as children, and I'm totally expecting my own little girl to continue the tradition.
N.B. We continued to practice swaddling at home, on the stuffed animal we bought today at Mu-Ee for the purpose. I love that this bear is trying to disguise itself as a frog; it seems happy enough with Janet's swaddling effort.
With Side/Stomach Placement, you actually hold the baby in the reverse breast-feeding position, supporting their head with your left hand, and letting them rest slightly on their stomach over your left forearm, kind of like holding a(n American) football (and I of course had to mime those movements, with my right palm out to defend against linebackers; Janet was only slightly amused).
But what was really interesting was Shushing, that if babies are crying, you make this white noise sound in their ear, and it replicates sounds they experienced in the womb. It was amazing to watch the video of him doing this, and the babies' eyes would get real wide and they'd immediately quiet down. It seems a bit weird to shush loudly in your baby's ear, but it's hard to argue with the results.
On a side note, before the class, Janet's parents took us and her brother out for a dim sum brunch at Crystal Jade in the Vivo City mall; the food was amazing, but what struck me was the number of biracial families in the restaurant. At the table next to ours was a Chinese mother, Caucasian father, their son and daughter (who were both beautiful), and the mother's mother; the little girl at one point got a bit bored, and as the chairs were made of a slick leather, she decided to test its coefficient of friction by sliding slowly to the floor. By the time she was halfway under the table and giggling loudly, her grandmother tapped her on the shoulder and told her to sit back up in her chair. I remember both me and my sister Kristin doing this as children, and I'm totally expecting my own little girl to continue the tradition.
N.B. We continued to practice swaddling at home, on the stuffed animal we bought today at Mu-Ee for the purpose. I love that this bear is trying to disguise itself as a frog; it seems happy enough with Janet's swaddling effort.