Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANTA MONICA — I've spent my fair share of time baby sitting small children.
I had a summer "tending" job when I was 12 year old watching two toddlers, and was also the on-call date night sitter for a family friend who had two rowdy boys who once attempted to hit me with a hockey stick to avoid bedtime. It turns out a swinging hockey stick is, unsurprisingly, an effective baby sitter deterrent.
I did not, however, spend a lot of my time watching newborn babies. Aside from the bulk of my sitter experiences being under the semi-trustworthy age of 16, there's a lot about brand-new babes that make people of all ages a little uncomfortable. They appear so delicate, their heads are floppy and everyone hears horror stories about that soft spot on the top of their head where their skull hasn't fused yet.
More likely, though, baby sitters and caregivers worldwide live in fear of a newborn that will cry unrelentingly. An adept parent can usually deduce the cause of the fussing and is able to remedy it with a feeding, changing or nap. There are times, however, when a baby seems unsoothable.
Thanks to a video from a 30-year pediatrician, Dr. Robert Hamilton of Pacific Ocean Pediatrics in Santa Monica, California, a simple baby hold could turn your screeching newborn from crying to cooing in no time.
Hamilton's technique, termed simply "The Hold," involves wrapping the baby's arms in front of it, positioning it forward at a 45 degree angle and gently bouncing the baby with your hand on its bottom. There's even an optional "booty shake" technique utilized by the doctor.
The YouTube video, posted a mere three days ago, is already pushing 2 million views and counting.
What are your go-to techniques for quieting a crying baby?
