Pay Attention to Baby's Cues 

 

Baby cues are signals that baby sends you to let you know what they need. Most baby cues are in the form of crying or body movements. Pay attention and respond quickly when your baby cries, coos, or makes a movement in response to situation.  Soon you will be able to tell the difference between a cry that say "I'm hungry" and a cry that say "My tummy hurts" as well as baby's likes and dislikes. 

 

 

Brain Science for Your Baby

 

Why is responding to your baby's crying so important?  Emotions are associated with brain chemicals called "hormones".   Hormones help your baby to react to the world.  Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are "stress hormones".  Cortisol can generate extra short term energy to help cope with stress and danger.  Once the stress or danger is over, cortisol goes away.  But babies can't protect themselves from stress or danger and they can't calm themselves down yet.  They need you to help.  

 

If a parent doesn't learn to read her baby's cues, then cortisol levels stay high.  High cortisol levels are "toxic" to developing brain cells.  Prolonged high cortisol levels also changes how the baby's brain responds to stress in childhood and even adulthood.  Chronic stress can cause permanent brain damage. 

 

See how this works here
A Baby Buffer Prescription for Your Baby
 
Pay attention to how your baby responds when you talk in a soft and soothing voice. Do their eyes get big?  Are they cooing or making pleasant baby noises? If yes, then you have just discovered your baby's cues for telling you they like a soft and soothing voice! 
 
RELAX and stay calm when you are trying to figure out what baby wants. If you are relaxed and use a soft voice it will help baby learn to calm themselves.
 
If you can't figure out what your baby is trying to tell you, go through the list of what you think baby might want. Is baby hungry, wet, tired, or overwhelmed?

A baby Buffer Prescription for You   

 

Be patient with yourself when it comes to feeling a connection or bond with your baby. It may take time before you realize that you feel close.

 

If you don't feel close to your baby after weeks or months of motherhood or fatherhood, talk with a trusted friend or doctor about your feelings and ways to create the bond with your little one.

 

 

 
 
 

 

What Your Baby Can Do - Developmental Milestones 

 

Your baby will love being held and touched by you from the very beginning, this is the beginning of your relationship with your baby. Click on the links below to find out what your baby should be able to do:

  
Gene's Research Tip!

So, which is it; Nature or Nurture? Well in 2014, many think it is both!  It seems that our genetic DNA (the Nature part) can be turned on or turned off by the rest of the world around us (the Nurture part).  Read more here

 
Baby Buffer Blog
Written by Barbara C. Unell

One of the most exciting milestones in your child's life is when he starts to want to do things on his own. He not only tries to put his spoon to his mouth when he wants to eat, for example, but he also wants to do so himself. "Me do it", as some children say, means doing an activity without help from you!


Showing this normal and healthy desire to be independent is good news. But it can also be frustrating for you, when you are in a hurry and it takes your child longer to do something than if you did it for him. You want him to feed himself now, for example, because you have to get to work or to an appointment. But your timetable and his are often not the same! What do you do to keep yourself calm?

 

Read the full blog here

"Like" us on Facebook! 

 Sign up for Baby Buffer emails! 

 

Visit www.babybuffer.org for more great parenting information