Secrets of Baby Behavior



WIC: Secrets of Baby Behavior

Modifications 11/8/12

Who: WIC participants, mostly mothers, some fathers and caretakers of infants 3-7+ months old. Anywhere from 2-26 participants per session. Educator is WIC staff (WNA or RD).

What: A comprehensive, educational class discussing a) infant sleep patterns, b) reading and responding to infant cues, and c) new guidelines surrounding when to start solid foods. Includes interactive activities and client-centered participation.

Time: 20-40 minutes.

Class arrangement: Semi-circular arrangement with chairs. Tables are not necessary. Face the chairs towards a whiteboard or flip chart.

Materials:

1) Pg. 5 of the official script, baby cues activity sheet

2) Handout packet including:

a. Understanding Your Baby’s Cues

b. Healthy Sleep: For You and Your Baby (side 2)

c. Why do Babies Cry? (side 2)

d. Solid foods handout (acquire)

3) White board or flip chart with dry-erase markers

Instructor Script

“Welcome to the Secrets of Baby Behavior. My name is _______ and I will be your group leader for this short interactive class. The focus of our session is your baby and his or her sleeping patters, cues, and solid food recommendations. First, let’s go around the room and introduce yourself and your baby and tell us how old your baby is.”

[Clients introduce themselves and their babies]

“As you all know, there are a lot of great things about being a new mom, but being a new mom can also be very stressful at times.

“Tell me, what is great about being a new mom?”

Probe for 3-4 responses. Write responses on a whiteboard or flipchart. Affirm each response by saying ‘That’s wonderful’ or ‘Thanks for sharing.’

“Now tell me—what is stressful about being a new mom?”

Probe for 3-4 responses. Write responses on a whiteboard or flipchart. Affirm each response by saying ‘I can see how that would be stressful’ or ‘I hear that all the time from new moms.’

“So it seems like being a mom is great AND stressful. From what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like babies waking up a lot at night, crying, and not knowing what your baby needs can be stressful. Let’s spend a few minutes talking about these things.”

“Babies are adults sleep very differently. Babies sleep 13-14 hours per day from 2-12 months old, but not all at one time. Babies and adults both wake up at night, but sometimes it’s harder for babies to get back to sleep. Waking is actually very healthy for babies. Understanding why and when babies wake-up can help tired parents.”

“Let’s talk a little about how babies sleep. Have you noticed any signs that your baby is dreaming?”

Pause and wait for responses. Possible responses: smiles or cries in sleep, eye movement, body twitches, makes noises in sleep, etc.

“Yes, those are all signs that your baby is dreaming. When babies sleep, part of the time they sleep deeply and part of the time, sleep lightly. During deep sleep (which we call quiet sleep), it is a lot harder to wake them up and they don’t dream. During light sleep (which we call active sleep), babies dream and they are easy to wake up.

“For babies, dreaming is very important because while they dream, blood flows up to their brains, bringing nutrients and other things that they need for their brains to develop and grow. When they are dreaming, it is easier to wake babies up but babies have to wake up sometimes to feed, stay warm, and sometimes to breathe. So waking and dreaming are important to keep babies’ brains and bodies healthy. We know it is tough, but the good news is that it doesn’t last forever. As they get older, babies will wake up less and less.”

“It is also very important for babies to sleep on their backs. Babies will be able to wake-up more easily if they are having difficulty breathing when they sleep on their backs. This will help your baby from developing a deadly condition calls “SIDS” or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Many people think babies choke when put to sleep on their backs, but studies shot this is not true. Babies also spend more time in active sleep and dreaming when they sleep on their backs. This means that babies that sleep on their backs might become healthier and smarter!

“What surprised you about WHY babies dream?”

Pause for responses and affirm each response.

“Do you have any other questions about your baby’s sleep?”

Pause and answer questions.

“Now we are going to move on to how to communicate better with your baby.”

“You and your baby have your own “language” that you use to talk to each other. Since babies can’t talk, they have to use their bodies and noises to tell us what they want.”

( ACTIVITY: PAIRING UP

“Without talking, show the person next to you a way your baby tells you if she wants to be near you.”

Pair up the people sitting next to each other. Make sure they understand the activity. Allow about 30 seconds.

“Who would like to share with the group how your baby tells you she wants to be near you?”

Wait for responses. Write down each response on the white board or the flip chart under a title such as ‘I want to be near you’.

“These are all great responses. Babies tell us they want to be near us by keeping their eyes open and their faces relaxed. They might try to reach towards us, like this baby. They will also lift their faces and smile if they are older.”

“Without talking, show the person next to you one way your baby tells you he needs a break.”

Pair up the people sitting next to each other. Make sure they understand the activity. Allow about 30 seconds.

“Who would like to share with the group?”

Wait for responses. Write down each response on the white board or the flip chart under a title such as ‘I need a break’.

“When babies need a break or a change they may just turn their heads or their whole bodies away for a moment. They can stiffen up their bodies and fuss a little. Often giving them a break or soothing them will stop them from getting more upset and crying. Many times crying can be prevented by recognizing and responding to your baby’s cues quickly.”

“Can anyone share a reason your baby might start crying?”

Pause for answers. Wait for responses, affirm them, and write them down on the white board or flip chart under a title such as ‘Why Babies Cry’.

Go through any of the reasons not mentioned by the participants. These include:

➢ Need a break or something different: babies are often overwhelmed by too much noise, light, people, or anything over-stimulating. Sometimes they just need a break from it all. If you watch for this cue, you can give baby a break before he starts crying.

➢ Need to be near you or held: babies can cry just because they want to be near you or miss you. You cannot spoil a baby with too much love. Your baby needs to be close to you to develop self-confidence and be able to trust you and others.

➢ Hungry: it’s true that some babies cry because of hunger, but there are lots of other reasons babies cry. Look for other hunger cues, like bringing hands to the mouth, sucking on things, tight fists over tummy, awake and alert. (Be sure to emphasize that crying does not always need to be answered with the bottle or food)

➢ Tired: some babies are very sensitive to being tired. Right when you see tired signs, give baby a nap before she gets over-tired and starts to cry.

➢ Too hot or too cold: the baby may be bundle up too much with blankets and clothes or too hot out in the sun. He may also need an extra layer of clothing in the cold.

“Do you have any questions about why babies cry?”

Pause and wait for questions.

“Okay, let’s move on to baby cues. When your baby is trying to tell you something with his noises or body movements, it’s important that you recognize what he is trying to tell you and respond to him in the right way. Let’s talk about some different ways to respond to your baby’s cues.”

( PASS OUT ACTIVITY SHEET: BABY’S CUES

“Let’s play a game. I’m going to tell you what a mom might do and let’s guess which one of these babies on the poster is hers.”

Ask the following questions and wait for the responses. Affirm each answer. If the answer is incorrect, say ‘I can see how you would think that’ or ‘a lot of people have said that in the past too, but actually…’

1. Which of the babies on this poster would a mom pick up and rock back and forth speaking softly to? (Answer: Baby #8)

“Yes, the baby is crying. We all want to hold and rock our crying babies. We somehow know that using the same words over and over can help calm our babies. Doing things over and over (like rocking, stroking, or speaking) calms babies. Just remember, when babies are really upset, they need time to calm down. Keep doing the same thing over and over and eventually they will calm down.”

2. Which baby would the mom let take a break? (Answer: Baby #1, #4, #5, #7)

➢ Baby #5: Yes, that baby looks like he needs a short break. His brow is wrinkled and he has one finger up to his mouth like he is unsure about what’s going on.

➢ Baby #7: Yes, that baby looks like he is getting tired. His head is turned away. If the mom lets him look away and take a break he will stay calm, but if she continues to play with him he might quickly turn into baby #8! She’ll wait until he turns his head back before she talks to him or tries to play with him.

➢ Baby #4: Yes, that baby needs a break as well. Maybe there is too much noise in the room and the baby is over-stimulated. Just turning off the TV or taking the baby out of the room might stop him from becoming more upset and crying.

3. Which baby would the mom show a new baby book and read to? (Answer: Baby #2 and Baby #9)

➢ “Yes, a relaxed and awake baby loves to play and learn. She looks like she wants to be with her mom and learn something. Her eyes are wide and she is happy and relaxed.”

4. Which baby would the mom try to feed? (Answer: Baby #6)

➢ “Yes, that baby is showing hunger cues. She’s trying to suck on her hands, she’s active and awake. Hunger cues can help us know when our babies need food. But we also know that crying doesn’t always mean hunger!”

“How does your baby tell you she is full?”

Wait for answers. You can add the following answers: falling asleep, pushing away, back arching, decreased sucking, and arms extended out.

“What can happen if a mom always feeds her baby whenever her baby makes noise or is a little fussy?”

Wait for answers. Answer: the baby will be overfed and could become overweight.

“Now we would like to change topics and share with you some information about feeding your baby solid foods. Does anyone know what the current recommendation is for starting solids?”

Wait for answers. Answer according to AAP –

Doctors, nutritionists, and other health care professionals recommend that babies not be given anything other than breast milk or formula until the baby is close to 6 months old or is physically ready. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that infants may be physically ready to accept solid foods sometime between 4 and 6 months.

“It is important to note that solid food is considered anything that is not breast milk or formula.”

“What do you think about the new guidelines?”

Wait for answers. Affirm each response. For negative answers, add that you will talk about why the AAP came up with these guidelines.

“What have you heard about why parents should wait to give babies solid foods until about 6 months old?”

Pause and wait for responses. Thank all who share. Affirm correct responses. Read list following:

“A baby’s body might not be ready to handle solid foods earlier than 6 months old, and feeding solid foods too early may cause the baby problems, such as:

- Solid foods can hurt the baby’s digestive tract

- Solid foods can cause the baby to choke

- Solid foods can cause the baby to eat too much

- A baby given solid foods may be at higher risk for developing allergies and diabetes

- Research studies show that giving babies cereal before they are 6 months does not help them sleep through the night

“If you are already giving your baby solids, it’s not too late to stop giving it to them and start looking for cues that your baby is developmentally ready!”

“What surprised you about the problems your baby could have if you start solid foods too early?”

Pause and wait for responses. Affirm.

“Let’s talk about how to know if babies are ready for solid foods. Here are some signs that they are ready:

- Sit up with support

- Hold head steady

- Put fingers or toys in mouth

- Show he wants food by opening his mouth

- Closing lips over a baby spoon

- Show he doesn’t want food by turning his head away

- Keep food in his mouth and swallow it

“Some of you may be wondering the kinds of foods you should offer your children if they seem developmentally ready for solids. Some foods you might offer are:

➢ Cereal

➢ Mushy vegetables and fruits

➢ Ground meats

➢ Scrambled egg yolks (no milk before age 1)

➢ Well-cooked pastas

➢ Soft potatoes

“Introduce a new food every few days and watch carefully for signs of a reaction, like a rash, vomiting, or diarrhea. Most of all trust your instincts!”

“We hope you’ve discovered at least one new piece of information or something you might do differently with your child as they get older. Does anyone want to share something they learned or something they are curious about?”

Pause and wait for answers. If no answers, thank them for coming.

( Give clients the packet of handouts as they exit

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download