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Hi! I promise Downtime won’t turn into “motherhood central,” but I couldn’t pass up this interview opportunity. When the folks at Happiest Baby kindly reached out to offer me some time with the one and only Dr. Harvey Karp, I immediately said, “YES, please tell me absolutely everything I need to know about squeezing in some quality sleep in those newborn years and not feeling like a total zombie.” Dr. Karp is a renowned pediatrician and child development expert with decades of experience in the field. He's also the mastermind behind the popular SNOO bassinet and author of the Happiest Baby books (which my husband and I had downloaded a few months ago.)
Many of our parent friends who’ve used the SNOO are simply effusive and swear that it was “life-changing” and a “must-have.” The SNOO uses technology like white noise and rocking to create a soothing sleep environment for babies. (According to Happiest Baby, the maker of the SNOO, babies who use it get an extra 1-2 hours of sleep per night.) It’s a wizard, it’s a magical robot bassinet, it’s a baby whisperer, it’s all of the above.
The purpose of this audio interview isn’t to persuade you to buy a SNOO or not—because I know the cost is up there. (Full disclosure, my husband and I were planning to rent one until the brand reached out and offered a free trial. They also have refurbished options available now, and as mentioned in the interview, some workplaces now offer it as an employee benefit.) Rather, Dr. Karp shares a good overview of how all parents-to-be and new parents can set themselves up for success, plus a few tips and tricks for the newborn stage and toddler stage, too.
In this interview, Dr. Karp…
Spills the beans on how new parents can best set up for success in those first few hectic weeks 😴
Comments on a few trending topics amongst parents on social media, like the “gentle parenting” method
Shares his thoughts on another hot topic: co-sleeping and bedsharing
Shares some slightly bewildering but probably helpful techniques to calm a toddler tantrum (seriously, it caught me off guard, but it makes total sense to me now)
Whether you're a new parent or a seasoned pro, I hope you’ll give this a listen.
Thank you, Dr. Karp!
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Disclaimer: As mentioned above, we were loaned a SNOO from Happiest Baby to use for a few months. We were also gifted their sleep sacks and their sound machine. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something, I may receive a small cut of it at no cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!
How to Soothe Fussy Babies Without Totally Losing It: A Q&A with Dr. Harvey Karp, Inventor of The SNOO