Sarah Niekamp has been a dietitian and certified lactation specialist with WIC in Wiscomsin for 10 years. She shares her experience becoming a Certified HUG Teacher.
I learned so much during the HUG Your Baby Course and since implementing the HUG techniques, I have seen how effective the information is in action. I even look back on when I had my son over 2 years ago and I wish I had known more about the two types of sleep- I think I would have had a lot fewer sleepless nights! It has been amazing how broadcasting and commentating baby behaviors as well as discussing the different zones can be so impactful for new (and experienced) parents. During a recent visit with new parents and their newborn, I was using the HUG strategies that I learned during the training and it was obvious how it helped me really engage and build a relationship with the parents. They loved learning more about their baby’s behaviors and felt so much more confident in navigating his zones and recognizing the difference between light and deep sleep. By the end of the visit, they were broadcasting his behavior and describing which zone the baby was in. I have follow-up with mom several times since having the in-person visit and each time she sounds more and more confident in herself and in breastfeeding the baby. I look forward to continuing to use the HUG techniques during visits with our WIC families and am so excited to teach a HUG class!