Tammy
Ratliff, RN, IBCLC, CEIM lives in Chesterfield, Virginia. She
is an RN, Infant Massage Instructor and a Lactation Consultant at Johnston
Willis Hospital. She has worked there in the Maternal Infant Unit for 12
years and is eager to add HUG training to her work with young families.
Let’s hear her story using HUG Your Baby.
As
a Nursery Nurse the temperament of a newborn can be very apparent at
birth. My experiences is that calm and prepared parents bring a sense of peace to their birth
experience. Sometimes parents who are anxious and fearful from the
beginning can have a baby that can be more challenging to console.
While
completing the required reading and studying for certification as a HUG
Instructor I have shared my finding with many of my co-workers as well as my
patients. In our hospital nursery babies will be soothed by
swaddling and/or a pacifier or the comfort of their parents. One
particular day a baby was sent back to the nursery by her Mother. The Mother said she "needed a break". The baby was constantly crying or at the breast. While
in the nursery multiple nurses tried to calm her. Her diaper was
dry. She was swaddled tightly and was offered her pacifier multiple
times. As I entered the nursery the HUG’s video demonstration entered my
mind. I picked the baby up, brought her close to my mouth and began to
shush in her ear and sway her up and down. She instantly calmed.
Her body relaxed and her facial color began to normalize. I couldn't wait to demonstrate for this mother how well her baby responded to this HUG technique.
Mothers are always reaching out for ways to be
a better parent. The education I have acquired from The HUG Your Baby program has
provided me with techniques which that can empower new parents and
help them become the parents they want to become. Children are our
best teachers. Understanding and responding to their body language is key to our success as parents.