Dr. Harvey Karp Kids & Family Coach

By Winna Ironkwe, special to AOL Coaches

The shrill of a baby's cry is an aching sound to every new parents' ears. With my firstborn, each new plea for help became a guessing game of how to quickly remedy the situation. Is she hungry? Wet? Might she be too cold, or too hot? When the checklist failed, and baby's yelps went from mild agitation to an outright uproar of distress, I doubted I was ever cut out for this job in the first place! There were many nights where endless hours of my colicky infant's scream brought me down to me knees. She cried, I cried, and somewhere around 4:00 a.m. we both gave up.

What I wouldn't have given to have Harvey Karp's 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' during those first few months. After much trial and error, I eventually learned the ways in which to soothe a baby, but having this knowledge right off the bat would have no doubt helped me clock in a few more hours of sleep. Karp will walk you through the simple method to turn even the most fussiest of infants into the 'happiest baby on the block.' Proven invaluable throughout history, "The 5 S's" - Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Shush, Swinging and Suck -- are the only tools you'll ever need to appease your baby and alleviate your stress.

Karp explains his theory of 'The Fourth Trimester,' a concept so logical but often not thought of in the midst of a screaming fit. In recreating a womblike atmosphere for your newborn post-partum, the first few months of your new baby's life will be a transitional period from womb to real-world. 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' will teach you the tools you need to make that transition as smooth as possible by applying 'The Cuddle Cure' -- combining 'The 5 S's' to create a "layer cake of comfort and soothing."

With his highly successful method, professionals, celebrities, and -- most important -- at the end-of-their-wits parents praise Karp's easy to follow and simple tools that really work. If babies came home from the hospital with an owner's manual, this would be it!

1. Buy 'The Happiest Baby on the Block'