Peace is a sibling to hug.

Babies learn to communicate with body language before they begin to babble. Eye contact and loving attention from their caregiver as a newborn teaches the infant that they can trust that their cries and needs for food and cleanliness and warmth will be met as well as their need for touch and smiling faces. Babies are familiar with the sound of their mother's heartbeat and may be familiar with music and language in their environment from an early age. They learn to recognize words and patterns of language long before the ability to speak. Babbling is their way of saying hello and anything else they might be thinking - say hello back or sing along with the babbling. Natural pauses to listen and respond whether with early eye contact and then looking away to later babbling by baby and a response from caregiver is early conversation. Games like peek-a-boo also teach interaction and that conversation has pauses. It can be natural to speak to infants in a slightly higher pitched voice however they learn normal speech patterns by listening to normal conversation - baby talk is not going to teach language as well as just chatting about what you are doing and labeling things out loud. "Let's get ready for a walk. Putting on baby's coat, and shoes, now for the mittens and hat. Now it's my turn, putting on my coat, and shoes, and my mittens and hat! Now we're ready for a walk!. Won't that be fun?" Infants who do not have caregivers who respond to the early efforts at communication can leave a baby under-stimulated and they may stop trying. Orphans in overcrowded facilities with little interaction have been found to develop an autism like condition which may be reversed if they receive more nurturing care early enough in life. "If a baby does not babble, coo or gesture by 12 months, say single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by 24 months, or if there is a loss of language or social skills at any point, he or she should be evaluated by a doctor." - Katherine M. Johnson For more information see: "Putting together the pieces: New Orleans doctors and therapists make autism navigable #spd" learningsuccessblog.com . Or " Was My Child’s Autism Misdiagnosed?" , by Katherine G Hobbs, AutismParentingMagazine.com . /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./

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.