A pediatrician from Santa Monica, California may literally hold the secret to calming fretful infants. Fortunately, Dr. Robert Hamilton has been nice enough to share what he knows with the rest of the world, especially to harried parents.
"The move is called 'the hold' and requires you to cup the infant's arms under its body while gently rocking it," NineMSN Coach said. "It shows impressive results - the baby in the video quietens in a matter of seconds."
"t's a technique Dr Hamilton has perfected over 30 years caring for newborn infants, and is used to comfort then when giving immunisations, check-ups and more," the site went on to say. "For new parents, it may just mean the difference between a full night's rest and propping your eyelids open with toothpicks."
Dr. Hamilton, however, cautioned that if the baby does not calm down after doing the hold, one of these two things may be causing the distress.
"Maybe your baby is not feeling well or ill, or maybe your baby is hungry," he said.
"I find that the hold is very helpful for the first two to three months of age," he added. "After that your baby becomes too heavy and it is very difficult to hold a baby at that point."
To do the hold, follow these steps by Dr. Hamilton, as relayed by Sunshine Coast Daily:
1. Fold your baby's arms across his or her chest.
2. Secure arms gently with one of your hands.
3. Grasp diaper area with your other hand.
4. Rock the baby at a 45 degree angle gently until he or she is quiet.
Dr. Hamilton cautioned that one should be gentle with every move in doing the hold. "You don't want to do jerky motions, ever," he said.
According to the doctor's bio on the Pacific Ocean Pediatrics, a private practice he began in 1996, he had "led 17 medical mission teams to Africa" through his Lighthouse Medical Missions. He's also parent to six kids, which also probably gave him much opportunity to practice and perfect the hold.
Dr. Hamilton's technique is a rather unorthodox one, compared to other approaches such as just picking up the baby and rock him or her in one's arms or putting the infant in a cradle and going out for a walk to lull him or her to sleep. There's also the swaddling and snuggling alternatives, which some parents have sworn by.
Have you tried Dr. Hamilton's method already? Let us know your experience!
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