Understanding & Calming Your Baby, with Carrie Contey

Babies are constantly and very specifically communicating their needs to us. So what are some ways they do that? How can you tune into and translate their messages? And what if you have a baby that needs more help navigating the world? The fabulous Carrie Contey has answers. Check it out.

What we talked about:

• Your conscious baby: that big person in a little body
• Ways in which your baby communicates with you
• Responding to your baby
• First you, then baby
• Giving your baby a voice
• The four questions for curious communication
• The CALMS acronym for understanding your baby
• Reflecting vs. reacting
• How and when your baby’s brain comes online
• The 6 week and 3 month changes
• Fluctuating between doing and being in order to integrate
• The power of the pause
• What about your baby’s temperament?
• Helping regulate their nervous systems
• Womb extension
• Why taking care of you is taking care of baby

Additional resources and articles:

• Carrie’s TEDxAustin talk on human development and the pause
• What’s Your Baby’s Temperament?, article from PsychCentral
• Key Questions for Couples to Consider before Baby Arrives, article from PsychCentral
• A Newborn Person’s Guide to Early Parenting, from Carrie’s blog
• Getting Clear on Your Growing Person’s Brain, from Carrie’s blog
• Carrie’s videos on “Parenting the Triune Brain, Part 1 and Part 2, as well as her YouTube channel with some awesome Q+A sessions

Fabulous books*:

• Carrie’s “CALMS: A Guide to Soothing Your Baby” book – or contact Carrie to get it from her directly!
• Dr. Harvey Karp’s “Happiest Baby on the Block” book (based on the 5 S’s for soothing baby)
• Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s “Touchpoints: Birth to Three” book (based on predictable periods)
• Dr. Frans Plooij’s “The Wonder Weeks” book (based on developmental leaps). Hear the Birthful episode with Dr. Plooij on “Your Baby’s Fussy Phases”
• Dr. Dan Siegel’s “The Whole-Brain Child” book (based on brain integration, in toddlers and up)

Related Birthful episodes:

• Your Baby’s Fussy Phases, with Dr. Frans Plooij
• Your Baby, The Mammal, with Diane Wiessinger (Part 1)
• Your Baby Mammal: Sleeping & Solids, with Diane Wiessinger (Part 2)
• The Baby’s Birth Experience, with Karen Strange
• Your Baby’s Calming Reflex, with Dr. Harvey Karp

Photo by Cabe Lindsay, courtesy of Carrie Contey

About Carrie Contey

Carrie Contey, PhD is a internationally recognized coach, author, speaker and educator. Her work offers a new perspective on human development, parenting, family life and being a healthy, happy, whole human being. She is the co-founder of the Slow Family Living movement and the co-author of CALMS: A Guide To Soothing Your Baby. She has appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, NPR, CBS radio and in many publications including Time, Parenting and The Boston Globe. Currently she lives, works and plays in Austin, TX.

To learn more visit carriecontey.com, or contact her directly. She’s also on Facebook.

 
Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).

Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).