Ja'Brielle Manuel is a Parent Educator with TraingGrounds in New Orleasn. She shares her experience becoming a Certified HUG Teacher.
I am so grateful for this wealth of knowledge that this HUG training has given me. The training has allowed me to see the purpose and the meaning behind the actions and reactions new born’s have when they first enter the world. Sometimes a new place can be a lot to take in, especially for a little one.
What I like most about the HUG sessions that I've been a part of is that "aha" moment. For the mother that is suffering from postpartum depression and is also having a hard time connecting with her baby because the baby seems uninterested in what she is doing. The mother then realizes that there is nothing wrong with her and her baby's perception of her, the baby is just over stimulated and decides to shut down. Because of her hug session, she now feels confident and more knowledgeable about what is going on.
In another HUG session that was held in person, the baby showed signs that he was a little unhappy with the position that his mother was holding him in. We tried one of the techniques that was just shown in the video on how to calm and soothe your baby. Mom crossed babies' little arms over his chest and rocked him at a 45-degree angle. Baby was able to feel a familiar feeling of snugness and swaying as he did in the womb.
This was all amazing to see and learn so that the information can be provided to those families that really need it.