Happiest Baby on the Block

We've been kind of "forced" to read Dr. Harvey Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block (thanks Tek) to help us out with Lucas. The book has five main tenets on how to activate the calming reflex on babies called the five "S's." They are:

1. Swaddling - tight and snug swaddling helps set the stage for the rest of the five.
2. Side/Stomach - rolling the infant into his side or stomach (ie "football hold") can activate the calming reflex within seconds.
3. Shhhh - Shushing crying babies mimic the sounds of shushing in the womb, but this needs to be done at the same loudness level.
4. Swinging - energetic and vigorous swinging can result in a trance for the baby. 5. Sucking - the breast or pacifier leads to soothing.

We've tried all five and can attest that it works. We can usually calm him down in a minute when he cries.