By Sr Teresa Hayward (RN, RM, Lactation consultant, Infant & Paediatric Nutritionist, Baby Sleep consultant)
Your baby can only benefit from stimulation when it is balanced, varied and meaningful and occurs at the right time.
Stimulation is important of brain development but it also important to not over stimulate them. It is a fine balance
· Appropriate stimulation at the right time of day – when baby is well rested and fed
· Overstimulation will lead to fussiness, so it important to look for the signs, and only stimulate when they are calm and alert
· Don’t over schedule your baby rushing from one activity to another. If you are attending classes, look at the length of the classes compared to babies recommended awake times. If baby is under 3months old, they don’t need additional groups. Up until 6 months, only mom benefits from these, not baby. Over 6 months, baby will start to reap the benefits.
· Balance calming and stimulatory activities and link them to a time of day, for example calming activities before bedtime
Ways to stimulate
Sight:
· Babies can only focus up to 20cm, and will maintain eye contact, using the face as a focal point, moving from side to side.
· Have a variety of objects that baby can focus on, using one object at a time. Showing too many stimuli at time, will mean baby will be unable to focus on them.
· To start with they will only be able to see mostly shapes and shades and will only see black and white, and then red
· Always make sure your face is in their line of vision and talk and smile to them
· Take them outside to discover different things and try to feed them in different places
· Stick out your tongue at them, they will learn to copy you
· Let them see their reflection in the mirror
· Pull funny faces and act silly
Sound:
· Talking, singing and reading to baby will help to build their personality, encourage language development and promote bonding
· White noise in the first 3 months is very soothing for them
· When they are newborns make “aa” and “oo” noises at them, as these are the first noises they will make, and it will encourage them
· Make use of shakers or rattles
· Make us of a bell or your voice to encourage them to turn their head towards the noise. This also helps to strengthen their neck
· Talk nonsense to them making “baby” or “silly” noises, leaves gaps in between so as they can respond to you
Touch:
· Hold your baby and do skin to skin especially at feeding times, bath times, bed time
· Do baby massage with your baby – it helps them to get used to being touched but is also very relaxing
· Allow them to feel different things
· Encourage them to hold objects, grip them and control them
· Show them what they can do with their hands
· Introduce new textures to them such as grass, sand, foam etc
· Stroke their arms and legs with different things such as feathers and towelling
· Be in continuous physical contact – stroking, tickling, rubbing and massaging
· Touch and massage their feet – this helps with walking, balancing and climbing; also rub and clap them together
· Push and pull all their joints – this helps them to create body sense
· Water is a great sensation to kick and play and splash during bath time
· When they start with solids, allow them to feel the different textures
Body movements
· Rocking should be a smooth movement and soothing
· Place baby on their back and allow them to kick, this helps them with neck support and trunk control
· When dressing them, move them from side to side, the rotation is good for twisting and enhancing truck rotation, which later helps for crawling, walking and balance
It is extremely important to watch your baby's cues of overstimulation. As soon as baby starts to show any signs, stop the activity and take them away from it into a quiet environment, and usually they will be ready for a nap. Young babies can only cope with about 10min of stimulation.
Signs of overstimulation:
Bicycling or kicking their legs
Arching and pushing away from you
Waving their arms around with their hands open and their fingers spread open
Staring off into space
Gaze aversion - won't look at you or the item you are showing them
Tongue thrusting - poking their tongue in and out
Hiccups - random and not after feeding
Sneezing
Yawning
Pulling on their hair, your hair, clothing, blankets etc
Seem irritated and eventually start crying
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