My baby's happier than your baby

I may regret saying this, but the Fiendling's a pretty chill baby. He's not much of a crier or a screamer and he's not too hard to calm when he's fussy. But if he wasn't a happy baby, I'd totally use all of the strategies from The Happiest Baby on the Block. Harvey Karp's philosophy is that babies are immature. I know he sounds like a moron so far, but I'll continue. When babies scream and wail for reasons other than hunger, the need for a diaper change, or illness, the best way to soothe them is by swaddling, putting them on their side or stomach, swinging them, shushing them, and allowing them to suck. All of these S's trigger a calming reflex, either by themselves or used in combination.

His reasoning makes sense. Swaddling babies, or wrapping them tightly makes them feel safe. Swinging and shushing, or white noise, recreate the atmosphere of the womb. Putting babies on their stomachs or sides helps them avoid the reflex that makes them feel like they're falling when they're on their backs and sucking a pacifier, or allowing them to nurse more frequently is calming. All of these techniques, individually and together seem to work. Unfortunately his book is terribly written.

Karp's writing is like that of an elementary student. He takes forever to make a point, then repeats it ad nauseum. The book could have been published as a 50 page How To guide, yet it's somehow stretched to close to 300 pages. Trust me, the book's not worth buying. Instead, if you want advice for calming a colicky or fussy baby, watch the video, which is probably available at your local public library. It's just as informative, but it shows you the techniques rather than explaining them over and over and over again. If you still need more information either borrow the book from the library or a friend. You won't need it as a reference guide later.