Is this a magic trick that can stop any baby from crying?
All parents know the sheer exhaustion of trying to settle a wailing baby. Patting bottoms, pacing up and down, rocking, bouncing, quiet singing, pulling faces — sleep- deprived mums and dads try them all, sometimes several at once.
But now a U. S. paediatrician has unveiled his ‘magic method’ to soothe a crying baby: The Hold.
robert Hamilton’s four-minute video demonstrating his technique has become a hit on YOUTUBE, with 1.7 million views in just four days.
So what is The Hold all about?
THE DOCTOR
ROBERT HAMILTON has been a paediatrician for nearly 30 years. He set up his practice, Pacific Ocean Paediatrics, in Santa monica, California, in 1996.
He also leads charitable medical missions to Africa.
As well as treating thousands of children, he has had plenty of opportunity to try his technique at home, with six children and three grandchildren.
THE TECHNIQUE
THERE’S nothing complex about Dr Hamilton’s method. It’s really just four surprisingly simple steps (illustrated above).
The technique is only suitable for babies up to three months old, while they are small enough to be held in this way.
Dr Hamilton says it won’t work for hungry or poorly babies.
DOES IT WORK?
SEEMINGLY, yes, though it isn’t a universal cure.
WHAT’S THE SECRET?
THERE is no medical explanation. However, as most parents know, tiny babies love to feel secure — and many love to be rocked, bounced gently or patted on the bottom.
Some believe this mimics the sensations of being in the womb, so the combined effect of all three could be a winner.
Crossing a baby’s arms left over right and holding them so they can’t flail about is similar to swaddling — a method of wrapping a baby in a blanket for sleep, which your grandmother might have used. restricting arm movement suppresses the startle reflex, where babies suddenly throw their arms wide and so wake themselves up.
Dr martin Ward-Platt, a consultant paediatrician in neonatal medicine in newcastle, says: ‘A lot of babies like that comfort zone, being held in the parent’s arms with just a little restraint.’
He adds that Dr Hamilton appears to have a very calm and gentle manner.
‘There is a lot to be said for being a calm, reassuring presence,’ he says.
‘Babies do pick up vibes from their parents, and there can be a vicious circle whereby baby gets stressed, parents get stressed and baby continues to cry.
‘Often all it takes is someone such as a laidback grandparent to step in.’
THE NURSE’S VIEW
AS A maternity nurse, rachel Waddilove has soothed many fractious babies, and counts the actresses gwyneth Paltrow and minnie Driver among her clients, so if anyone should be able to assess The Hold, it’s her.
‘I find it helps when you tuck in their hands and arms and clasp them close to you,’ says rachel.
‘Babies who cry and get upset feel very insecure, so tucking them up immediately makes them more comfortable.’
She adds, though, that she prefers to hold babies close rather than away from the body.
‘I’m also not terribly keen on bumping babies up and down. I see a lot of mothers jiggling their babies rather than rocking them — but if you have a tired baby, jiggling them probably won’t achieve anything.’
She says whether the technique works will be down to the baby and the reason for the crying.
If the baby is hungry, ill, cold or has a wet nappy, then addressing the problem is a better solution.
rachel’s personal technique for a very tired baby who won’t settle is to swaddle the infant, then lay them across one arm as if she were going to breastfeed, tuck them in close to the body and gently rock from side to side.
www.rachelsbabies.com
WHAT PARENTS SAY
NATALIA SCARLETT CHOI, 30, a psychotherapist, lives in ealing, West London with her husband ross, 28, and their 13-week-old daughter Maya Louise. She says: MAYA is a very clingy baby, perhaps because of a complicated birth by Caesarean section.
She is as good as gold when she’s with me, but woe betide me if I put her down. The moment I leave the room she cries, which can make life a little difficult.
I was by no means convinced that The Hold would do anything to calm her cries, which can soon become inconsolable. But I’m happy to say it worked a treat.
I went to the kitchen to make some lunch, leaving maya with my brother marcus, and fully expected to have to break off from making sandwiches after hearing her wails.
But he crossed her little arms in front of her, held her as the doctor demonstrates and she calmed down straight away.
later I left the room again and she started to cry, so I came back in to give it a go myself and it worked wonderfully.
I have tried something similar before, holding her on her tummy over my knees, and that worked, too. I wonder if it’s because it makes her feel secure, in the same way as swaddling does.
The real test, however, will be at night. By day I tend to carry maya in a sling, which calms her, but in the evening she gets colicky, so we often have to resort to my husband ross ‘flying’ her around the room in his arms. He can’t wait to give The Hold a go. CHRISTINE CARTER, 34, a trainee GP, lives in ealing, West London, with her husband rolf, 30, also a trainee GP, their son George, three, and seven-weekold isabel. She says: WHEN I first saw the video, I was a little sceptical about whether it would work. But with a threeyear- old and a newborn, I’m happy to try anything that might help.
The first time I tried the technique, Isabel was in my arms in a restaurant and was just bored and wanting attention.
I put her in the hold, which is really very simple, and she calmed straight away. But when I tried it again at home, I think she was hungry and the only thing that would settle her was food.
The worst time of day for tears, like with many babies, is the evening. Unfortunately, when Isabel cries at night she often wakes up george.
He is usually really good and goes to bed at 7.30pm, but is now waking up and not going back down sometimes until 9.30pm.
One way or another we are all sleep-deprived, so I can’t wait to try The Hold again.
The technique does make sense — it’s a combination of the baby feeling secure, movement and being able to look outwards, all of which I have tried separately with some degree of success.
Isabel’s favourite position in the evening ‘meltdown’ is laying across my arm with me jiggling her.
There is something a bit different about Dr Hamilton’s technique — the gentle bottom jiggle — and it does seem to work. I will definitely be trying it again.