Victoria Deer has been a
nurse since 1994 and worked in labor and delivery for ten years. For the past
decade she has been teaching childbirth education classes and classes on
newborn care in Branchville, Indiana. Now that Victoria has discovered HUG Your
Baby, she is delighted to include The HUG DVD and HUG handout in her childbirth
and baby classes. Read below as Victoria uses the HUG Your Baby Newsletter format to share her experiences becoming a Certified HUG Teacher..
The Story: I first learned about HUG Your Baby when I heard Jan present at a
conference. It took less than 90 minutes for me to become a fan of her work and
mission! I practically sprinted to Jan’s booth after the session and purchased
a copy of the HUG DVD. (My sincerest apologies to anyone I might have knocked
over during my over-zealous dash.)
My new plans were to: Incorporate the HUG DVD into Baby
Care class immediately and to become a Certified HUG Teacher. Mission accomplished in two months. Needless to say, I am blessed to work at a
hospital that supports my professional education and goals for our "Building a
Healthy Baby" program.
The Science: Evidence-Based Information. Research
allows us to continually learn and provide our parents with the best, most
reliable information available. It was clear to me that The HUG is based on child development and medical literature and offers a new and innovative way to teach parents about their baby.
Ah-Ha Moment (for me!): “My son did that”, I exclaim after I watch baby, Anna, “Switching Off”. When my son was a baby I had no idea that that behavior was him trying to
tell me that he was over-stimulated! I also wasn’t aware that I could have responded to that over-stimulation by quietening my voice or holding
his hands to his chest to help him calm down. Remembering my experiences (and confusion) as a young mother reinforces thatThe HUG is an invaluable teaching
tool packed with quality information that is easy to understand and apply. I am committed to supporting new parents, setting them up for success and helping them become confident in their ability
to understand and respond to their newborns.
