It has been a year, now, that professionals from around the country have started to become Certified HUG Teachers. Though their background, training, and work with young families varies, their hopes for using The HUG sound similar. HUG Teachers want to help parents read their baby's body language in order to enhance the parent-child relationship and to give parents the confidence and skills to become the good moms and dads they want to be!The hopes of these first HUG Teadchers, I believe, have been satisfied. The following stories show how.
- "I recently attended a wonderful home birth in a small community south of the Triangle."
- "Now I point out that her long hair was brushing his face and that his response was simply an"SOS"an infant’s Sign of Over Stimulation. This is not only a normal infant response but one that indicates he is a bright boy and knows how to reduce over-stimulation to calm himself. "
- "During class, as we cover information on Active/Light Sleep and Still/Deep Sleep, I notice Carrie taking notes and nodding her head as if the information was just clicking. "
- "When she was pregnant, she was excited and busy preparing for the arrival of her “new bundle of joy.” But then, once the baby arrived, reality set in….new responsibilities, lack of sleep, and having to manage the demands of day to day living, leaves mom feeling a bit overwhelmed."
- "Corrie is a dedicated career woman who finally becomes a mom. After losing a baby at birth two years ago, she is especially eager to do whatever she needs to for her new baby, Marla."
- "These parents were already beginning to recognize the differences between deep/quiet sleep and light/active sleep, as well as demonstrating how to appropriately respond to their infants' S.O.Ss! "
- "She thanked me again for sharing information and techniques that helped her, and her baby, get a good night’s sleep!"
- "Big Brother started to call out that his little brother did not like him. “Look how he keeps looking away from me. Every time I call his name he turns the other way!” the brother exclaims. "
- "As we continue to talk, I see Jim and Julie’s confidence as parents return. The suggestions about swaddling, and bringing Avery’s arms to her chest when she fusses, make sense to them. “We’ll definitely add those to our ‘bag of tricks’!” Julie says. "
- "I held Sean and asked Lana to softly say his name. He opened his eyes wide, turned to his mom, and looked at her face. What fun for the rest of us to see the huge smile on Lana’s face and to sense her love for her son!"
- "But at seven months her daughter needs to have mom's nipple in her mouth during EVERY nap and ALL NIGHT LONG! "
- "Traci explained, “I just nursed her and laid her down 30 minutes ago. Look at her squirm and wiggle! Sometimes her eyes flash open, and she even makes some sounds.”"