By getting in tune with your baby’s senses, you can meet her needs and avoid unnecessary fussing and crying. You’ll also have a more relaxed baby, whose needs are met.
Keep your baby’s sensory environment the same each feeding time. Be cautious with any extra sensory input, like talking or touching.
She needs to keep all her attention on sucking, swallowing and breathing. Reciprocate your baby’s sensory signals. If she looks at you, return eye contact, but look away when she looks away to allow her ‘sensory space’ to focus on feeding.
From the moment you lift your baby into your arms and throughout the feed, each one of her senses will be stimulated.
Touch
Your touch as you place your baby into your arms and position her at your breast.
Hearing
Your baby’s sense of hearing will be stimulated by the sound of your voice and the rhythm of your heartbeat.
Sight
Sense of sight is stimulated as your baby focuses on your face and what is around her
Movement
As you lift your baby into the feeding position, her sense of movement is stimulated.
Smell
The smell of your milk and ‘mother space’ will stimulate your baby’s sense of smell.
Taste
Your baby’s sense of taste will be aroused depending on whether your milk is sweet or sour, hot or cold.
Interoception
The inner sensations of hunger, satiety and gas.
Ann Richardson
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