The importance of your baby’s mouth

Have you ever noticed that the first time your baby grasps or holds on to any object it goes straight to their mouth? Whether it a plastic toy, a creepy crawly, cell phone or your keys, a baby’s first action is to put it into their mouth. This is because the mouth is the window to one of our most important senses.

As a mom, it is our instinct to protect our baby from harm. The moment our little one brings something to their mouth, alarm bells go off, because the fear of choking is always a reality. It is however, really important not to take away or prohibit your baby from doing this but rather allow them to stimulate their senses by exploring and learning.

The mouth is the window to one of our most important senses.

The most common milestones we usually think about are:

• Rolling over
• Crawling
• Cruising
• Walking

However, the number one milestone is when your baby can use their mouth to suck and feed correctly as this will lay the foundation to allow:

• Speech development
• Word formation
• Eating different textured foods
• Communication

This big milestone though can sometimes be difficult for baby and they may need help.

Our mouth and our nose are connected to each other and every time we introduce a new smell or taste to our babies, we are teaching our baby’s brain about the mouth and it’s purpose. These are the foundations for the emotional and social part of the brain and are fundamental for when baby is between two and four years old.

It is important to awaken these different taste buds:

• Sweet
• Salt
• Sour
• Bitter

Our baby learns through input and these inputs are activated through our senses. As baby explores the emotional and social part of the brain, baby will then know and understand language and begin communicating. This can only happen by correctly stimulating the mouth with different textures and taste receptors.

The brain wires through our senses

Learn how the brain is wired by watching this video, click here to view.

To help baby along, try the following exercises:

• Gently massage on and around baby’s lips
• Stimulate inside the lips, on the gums, the tongue and cheeks
• Gently massage the jaw joint, chin and belly button
• Tickle cheek (The Rooting Reflex)
• Introduce new tastes and textures

As a BabyGym instructor, I know how important the senses are for your little one and recommend Bumbles’ Little Senses exercises to all moms.

For further information on BabyGym, a program loved by Bumbles, please visit www.babygym.co.za.

Article credit: Jackie Shrives is a mom of two and a BabyGym Instructor.

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