New mom? Read this.
During an educational assessment with a Mom and new infant, some wonderful topics were discussed.
Feeding is Bonding Time
This is an amazing opportunity for bonding. This is the beginning stages of the essential nurturing relationship between caregiver and child. This bond helps establish feelings of safety. When an infant or child feels safe, they have a better foundation to cope with unexpected events.
The Balance of Swaddling Time
The balance of swaddling time is an opportunity for observation and growth. Every child is different and if swaddling calms them to help their sensory system regulate then that is a wonderful thing. Swaddling them with a baby carrier against the caregiver’s chest is another opportunity for bonding and they can connect using multiple sensory systems ( touch, smell, hearing, etc. ). Making sure there’s a good balance of swaddling and allowing freedom of spontaneous skill development is very important. If a newborn or infant is swaddled all the time and they are trying to learn how to reach, find their hands or roll over it can potentially hinder progress. As mentioned earlier, every child’s developmental timeline is different so swaddling can be very helpful with a good balance of their individual needs.
White Noise vs. Music for Soothing
White Noise versus music for soothing is again exploring another sensory system that is best suited for that particular child. There is a lot of research on the benefits of music to the brain, learning and calming . The brain needs a period of quiet time during sleep to not overstimulate the auditory or hearing system when it is in recovery mode. A lot of infant swings and toys have white noise options, which is not always recommended in constant repeat mode. Music that has a variety of tones and vibrations like classical can be better suited for the brain’s growth and development. See which music your child responds to best but make sure they always have some downtime of quiet for their brain to rest and regenerate as they build sensory experiences for good coping, learning sounds for speech and higher level skill development.
All of these things that affect the sensory system can all have lasting effects that show up later in life and possibly present itself as feeding issues if these areas are not mastered with an underlying feeling of safety.