Babies Are Really Smart!!
“A newborn already has nine months of experience when she is born.” ∼T.Berry Brazelton, pediatrician, researcher, author
Babies are really smart!! In utero, babies are already learning. They can recognize the voice of their mother at birth. They know her by her smell. They let you know what they want without using the skill of language; they use sounds, behaviors, and physical movements. A baby’s cry differs in pitch according to the baby’s present need; hunger, tired, soiled diaper, cold/hot, etc.
According to T.Berry Brazelton, spending time with your baby, observing their behaviors and listening to their cues, allows you to become more attuned to your baby and to how they try to communicate with you. This phenomenon is a learning process and can some time. So moms, be gentle with yourself if at first you don’t understand what your baby is trying to tell you. Spend time with your baby. Observe your baby. Learn your baby’s cues. You and your baby are building a relationship with each other. Your baby will help you navigate the sometimes frustrating process of learning their needs; at first, it may be a process of elimination but then, once the cues are learned, knowing your baby’s needs becomes less of a guessing game and more of a relational skill. More about this in my next post!
Some biographical info on the legendary Dr. T. Berry Brazelton! This 98 year old gentleman has been a steadfast advocate for children and families for over 65 years. In his work as a pediatrician, professor of pediatrics, and author, he has written over 200 scholarly articles and 28 books on childhood development and parenting. His most well-known book, Infants and Mothers, 1969, has been translated into 20 languages. He developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) in 1973. The NBAS is used to observe the physical, neurological, and emotional wellbeing of babies. In 1993, he founded and developed the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Brazelton is a professor emeritus in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. For more information on Dr. Brazelton’s Touchpoints on childhood development, visit http://www.brazeltontouchpoints.org. Biographical information was taken from this site.
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