Babbling is early communication for a baby.

Peace can be tummy time but sometimes baby needs some encouragement to play while laying on their tummy. Starting from newborn age tummy time is important for babies to strengthen their back and neck muscles and it helps prevent flat spots from developing on the back or side of an infant's head. Spending a few minutes as a newborn and building up to fifteen to thirty minutes a few times a day as the baby gets a few months old helps provide muscle strengthening playtime. The younger infant may sleep and to reduce risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) it is recommended to have them on their back for more extended naps and bedtime. The older infant may get bored and might enjoy having their caregiver in front with a toy to look at. They also can learn to strengthen their leg muscles for later crawling development if the caregiver sits so the infant can push their feet against the caregiver's leg. See more about tummy time here: "Babies Need Tummy Time!" nichd.nih.gov . Switching arms for holding and feeding a baby also helps promote even muscle development. Spoon feeding the older baby from a variety of directions can also help them strengthen their neck muscles and develop evenly. When an infant is always turning their head in the same direction the muscles of the neck can sometimes become tightened and shortened in that direction (a condition called torticollis which can also occur as a birth condition). See more about infant torticollis and flat spots (plagiocehaly) here: "Torticollis: a common condition in babies, how parents can treat & prevent it." UVM Medical Center Blog . Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

Peace may be a clean and happy baby, or a sleeping baby. In between there may be stages of fussy, messy, drool-ly, crying, gassy, teething, and other more delightful fun - and the amazing thing is how much a parent can miss each stage of growth once the child is grown. Infancy, toddler two's, childhood and teens, all have their joys and woes. For a busy caregiver or parent a napping baby can be a few free moments to get caught up on housework or schoolwork or other tasks, during early stages of infancy though it may also be a good time to take a refreshing nap along with baby. Infants sleep on average sixteen hours each day, leaving eight hours for feedings, changing diapers, and the other delightful fun - babbling and baby smiles for example. However the younger the infant is the more likely the hours of sleep and wake will be spaced out around the clock. The tiny infant needs to eat frequently and sleep in between feedings. We digest and use nutrients for growth more during our sleep than during active awake hours of the day. So if baby is up for a few hours a couple times per night it can be nice to have help with one of the feedings or to take a nap along with baby at some point during the day. Infants like to be near people and it can help their body learn to better regulate their heart rate to be near other people, the heart rate pattern is mimicked by the infant. Babies also like to be rocked side to side because they were used to a rocking motion whenever mom walked around during baby's fetal development. Rocking chairs and baby rockers are designed to give that soothing motion. During a busy day use of a baby front-pack or sling style carrier can sooth baby to sleep and aid their digestion by gently stimulating the movement of food through the digestive tract. For tips for soothing a crying infant see: Is Peace a Crying Baby? . For more about sleep in general for all age groups see, Peace is a Good Night's Sleep . Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

When is a baby's first word? Sometime long after they start communicating. Infants love and need to interact with other people in order to learn how to communicate. They learn body language and eye contact before they learn words. Babies who are born deaf and have caregivers who know sign language learn to babble in sign language with their hands making random movements that include some recognizable elements of sign language. Eventually they are forming longer phrases and more words with sign language. Babies with or without verbal skills first interact with eye contact. In normal conversation we typically look directly at each other part of the time and glance away intermittently and then look back again. We are seeing emotional responses to the conversation and internally may adjust responses based on what we observe. Direct eye contact for longer periods of time is more confrontational, more aggressive - those are fighting eyes. Predator or prey our instincts have learned that a stare may be a threat. Playing games like peek-a-boo with an infant is an early way to practice making eye contact intermittently in a fun and non-threatening way. As the baby gets older and is babbling verbally or with sign language the conversation continues when they are encouraged by a smiling face and verbal or signed response. Infants who receive very little interaction or more confusing interaction with occasional smiling responses and occasional angry or frightening responses may stop trying to communicate and may not learn verbal skills as soon or as well as a baby who receives frequent friendly interaction. Is baby saying googoo, ahah, baba? Sing along with them and you may be surprised at the burbling response. Whether a baby is born verbal or deaf both can benefit from learning sign language at an early age. See: " Baby Sign Language - Hearing Babies Babble and Deaf Babbling ," babies-and-sign-language . Learning second and third languages can be easier for toddlers than for adults or older children. See: " The Best Age for Kids to Learn a Second Language ," Motherly . The symbol for heart in American Sign Language can be signed in a few ways, tapping the chest in the area of the heart or using the index fingers to draw a heart shape are two ways. American Sign Language (ASL): "heart," lifeprint . An example of American Sign Language showing the fluid emotional story telling aspect of the language is available in a song video with a sign language interpretaion of Mariah Carey's song " All I Want for Christmas Is You ," (via Chrissy @life_laughter_ ). Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.