The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block 2-Book Bundle pdfdrive com

Main Points:
What reflexes are, and the many built-in behaviors and skills
all babies are born with
The Calming Reflex: Your baby’s Off switch for crying
The 5 “S’s”: How to turn on your baby’s calming reflex
Vigor: The essential tip for calming your little cave baby
Three reasons your baby may take time to respond to the 5
“S’s”
Most people who have taken care of a fussy infant wonder at some
point: “Wouldn’t it be great if babies came with a secret button to turn
off their crying?”
Now don’t laugh, it’s not such a wild idea. Since babies wail as loud as
car alarms, shouldn’t there also be a way to turn their “alarm” off?
Well, the good news is, there is! I call this Off switch the calming
reflex, and, as you will soon learn, it works almost as quickly as the car-
alarm reset button on your key chain. But first, let’s review what reflexes
are and how they work.

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Reflexes: Incredible Things Your Baby Knows How to Do
Automatically
Reflexes are your body’s way of reacting automatically, such as
blinking before something hits you in the eye or shooting out your arms
when you’re knocked off balance. Like a good buddy, reflexes reassure
the brain: “Don’t even think about it. I’ll handle everything.”
All reflexes have the following characteristics:
They are reliable. Every time the doctor hits your knee to test
your reflex, your foot jumps out. It can be done five hundred
times in a row and always works.
They are automatic. Reflexes work even when you’re asleep.
They require a very specific triggering action. The knee reflex is
automatic and reliable only when it’s done in exactly the
right way. It won’t work if your knee is hit too softly or an
inch too high or low.
Could you imagine having to teach your baby how to suck or poop?
Thankfully you don’t have to, because these and more than seventy
other automatic reflexes are packed away in your newborn’s compact
brain.
Most of these reflexes help your baby during the first months after
birth. The rest are either fetal reflexes (useful only during his life inside
you), leftover reflexes (valuable to our ancestors millions of years ago,
but now just passed from generation to generation, like our intestinal
appendix), or mystery reflexes (whose purposes are unknown).
Here’s a list of some common reflexes you’ll probably see your baby
performing: