The theory of the fourth trimester of pregnancy says that the baby comes into the world not ready to be separated from its mother. Its creator is a pediatrician, Harvey Karp author of the book “The Happiest Baby Around” according to which the newborn needs time to mature for life outside the mother’s belly. The best way, therefore, is to create conditions, which to a large extent will be a recreation of what is pleasant and familiar for the child. The most important point, of course, will be to provide the toddler with a huge amount of closeness from mom and dad. Check what to do so that our child can calmly get used to the new situation
The child coming into the world experiences an extreme revolution, after which everything familiar changes forever. The new reality is full of unfamiliar stimuli. The child has to change its previous way of eating and breathing. Besides, it is not always as warm and quiet as in the mother’s belly. The best way to give the baby time to adapt is to create conditions similar to those experienced during the past nine months. The key role here plays the closeness of the mother, who should not spare the child the time for carrying, rocking, cradling or breastfeeding. It is also worth properly preparing the baby’s room, which will not be full of playing and colorful toys. A reduced number of stimuli in the early months allows the baby to learn about the world and its surroundings at its own pace
Dr. Harvey Karp has developed a theory to help new parents better recognize their newborn’s needs. The method involves adjusting to the still immature baby, who should be provided with conditions similar to those experienced in mom’s belly. Implementing these few simple rules can greatly help to calm the baby and provide optimal conditions for development
Swaddling A baby in mom’s belly has very limited movement, so he feels safe when his arms and legs are properly wrapped. Lack of motor coordination and inborn reflexes can only stress the newborn and wake him up from sleep. So when completing the layette, it is worth thinking about a wrap or a cone, but a soft blanket and a diaper will work just as well
Side or stomach position (stable position). For your baby’s safety and comfort, it is best to lay him on his tummy or side. This position prevents your baby from choking when he is having a baby bleed
Shushing (white noise). When you are in your mother’s belly, your baby hears her heartbeat and other sounds of her internal organs nonstop, so it’s not natural for him to be quiet. The best sound to help your baby fall asleep faster is white noise, which is similar to the sound of a hair dryer running. There are plenty of toys in stores that make this sound
Swinging (rocking). Babies love to be rocked and swayed in your arms. This feeling resembles the light movement they experienced while being in mom’s belly. That is why it is a good idea to soothe and put your baby to sleep in such a way. A great gadget is a baby sling, which allows you to have your baby close to you, and at the same time have your hands free
Sucking. A very important activity for a newborn is sucking, which allows him to get food from the breast. Babies have a great need to suck, so it’s a good idea to bring them to the breast frequently. In the case of bottle-feeding, a pacifier may be helpful
