Understanding & Calming Your Baby

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

Related resources*:

• Carrie’s TEDxAustin talk on human development and the pause
• What’s Your Baby’s Temperament? PsychCentral
• Key Questions for Couples to Consider before Baby Arrives, 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 which has some awesome Q+A sessions

Recommended books*:

• Carrie’s CALMS: A Guide to Soothing Your Baby book (you can also contact Carrie to buy it from her directly!)
• Dr. Harvey Karp’s The Happiest Baby on the Block book (which talks about on the 5 Ss for soothing baby)
• Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s Touchpoints: Birth to Three book (which talks about predictable periods)
• Dr. Frans Plooij’s The Wonder Weeks book (which talks about on developmental leaps)
• Dr. Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson’s The Whole-Brain Child book (which talks about brain integration, in toddlers and up)

Related Birthful episodes:

• Your Baby’s Fussy Phases
• Your Baby, The Mammal (Part 1)
• How Your Baby Mammal Sleeps & Starts Solids (Part 2)
• The Baby’s Birth Experience
• Your Baby’s Calming Reflex

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.