WHAT IF MY BABY DOESN’T SLEEP? THE 5 S’S!
Probably the most common concern I see from parents interested in booking their newborn session is “What if my baby doesn’t sleep?”. While there are plenty of beautiful images you can create with a baby that’s awake, most parents want to hire a newborn photographer because they fall in love with all the cute posed images in buckets and bowls and baskets. Unfortunately posing a baby at ALL (and having them stay that way!) requires baby to be asleep. Never fear! That’s why you hire a pro! I’ll even help teach you a few tricks to help you through the first couple months to get your baby sleeping just as easily. So with that in mind I introduce you to the 5 S’s.
The 5 S’s
The first 3 months after a baby is born is a tough transition. During this transition from inside the womb to outside, babies often need a lot of extra help soothing and sleeping. Many baby and birth providers even refer to this time as the Fourth Trimester. The 5 S’s was coined by pediatrician Harvey Karp as a way to help parents and caregivers simulate the womb environment during the fourth trimester, and thus help baby fall asleep. Genius!
The First S: Swaddling
When babies are in the womb it’s a tight squeeze. They don’t have to worry about controlling their arm or their legs, because it’s all tucked gently around them. Once they are outside, those limbs have free movement, and it feels scary! So our job is to help wrap them up nice and tight to get that same cozy feeling. But here is what I didn’t know when I was a new parent; babies will often fight the swaddle! Yeah, I know, it’s crazy. It’s something they love, but they will often scream and squirm for a minute or two before finally settling down. I WISH someone had told me that this was normal and to just let them settle for a minute. Instead I naively insisted with my first baby that she hated being swaddled, and likely made life much more difficult for both of us as a result. Sorry kiddo!
The Second S: Side Lying
The second S of our 5 S’s is Side Lying. The back is the safest position for sleeping newborn, but it is the absolute worst position for soothing. When trying to calm a fussy baby, or helping them fall asleep, side lying is often the best position. Just be sure to flip them over to their back when you set them in their bassinet for sleepy time.
The Third S: Shushing
When babies are in the womb it is anything but quiet. They hear Mom’s heartbeat, and the constant flow of her blood being pumped into and out of her heart. If you were to hear what baby hears, it would be a constant whooshing noise, similar to the ocean. Playing white noise helps mimic that sound. My absolute favorite device for white noise is the Baby Shusher. I think I have at least three of these by now, and I use them EVERY newborn session. It’s a miracle worker.
The Fourth S: Swinging
During those last few months of pregnancy, you probably notice that whenever you try to go to sleep, baby always seems to be wide awake and kicking. That’s because during they day when you are moving around, they are gently rocked to sleep! When you stop moving, that’s when they get fussy and wake up. While slow, and long motions for rocking might seem more relaxing to adults, babies are actually used to quicker, and slightly more intense rocking, bouncing, swinging. Small, quick, and light movement is the key to success here. And remember to always keep baby’s head and neck supported. We definitely don’t want to shake the baby, so don’t overdo it, and never shake your baby in frustration. Think of it more like gently jiggling them to sleep.
The Fifth S: Sucking
Our last S of the 5 S’s is sucking. Babies love to suck. It’s such a simple response, but it is so so important for soothing. I often ask parents to consider letting their photographer use a pacifier during their newborn sessions, even if it’s not something they are planning to use at home. At home, there’s always the option to nurse/feed/cuddle. And if you are soothing baby for sleep at home, you are likely not planning on trying to gently but constantly change how they are laying. For the short window of time while we pose them, those are less of an option. To keep baby settled while we move through the poses, having easy access to a pacifier makes all the difference of the world. And it’s generally for a very short period of time. Of course strong preferences are always respected (and should be by anyone handling your baby).
