Using The Hug Strategies

Certified HUG Teacher, Colleen Morrison with
Baby, Aria, in addition to Mum, Kathryn

Colleen Morrison is a Maternal Child Health Nurse in addition to Midwife from Victoria, Australia. Though she has worked amongst immature families for to a greater extent than than 20 years, Colleen is delighted to part amongst us today her joy inwards learning almost The HUG Strategies, techniques in addition to resources—and using them amongst the families she serves.

The cognition in addition to agreement I receive got gained from doing the HUG course of report gave me wonderful novel tools to empower novel parents. I utilize this data piece working both every bit a Midwife inwards an astute aid setting in addition to every bit a Maternal in addition to Child Health Nurse.

“Starting Here, non There” has been a fabulous concept for actually watching a household unit of measurement in addition to discovering what their needs are at the fourth dimension of the consultation. If a babe is clearly inwards the Rebooting Zone on the alter table, I purpose that chance to beak almost the 3 zones in addition to what parents tin flaming produce to assistance the babe motion from ane zone to another. Using the "See, in addition to thus Share" HUG Strategy, I “broadcast” the baby's competence when I encounter him calm downwards yesteryear “Switching Off” or “Spacing Out.” When I “commentate” on the baby’s behavioural in addition to trunk “SOSs” (Signs of Over-Stimulation), I encounter an "aha" await on the parents’ faces in addition to sense their relief every bit they come upward to empathise their babe better.

As a midwife working inwards both postnatal in addition to especial aid plant nursery settings, I receive got observed many babies "fall asleep" at the breast. In the yesteryear I would receive got encouraged mum to farther stimulate. Now I using simple, gentle talking in addition to swaying to exhibit a mum how to choose her babe dorsum to the Ready Zone for feeding.

When the babe is upward on the alter tabular array for examination, I receive got fourth dimension to simply scout the babe earlier I engage the parents yesteryear "broadcasting" the competencies of the baby. Soon the parents are watching the babe to a greater extent than closely, looking for these behaviours themselves, in addition to tuning into their babe using the HUG linguistic communication in addition to techniques.

Much of my run is providing anticipatory guidance. During our Key Ages in addition to Stages visits at ii in addition to four weeks (which correlate really good amongst physician Brazelton's Touchpoints ideas), I encounter parents who are distressed almost their baby’s crying oftentimes jiggling their babies or raising their voices inwards a higher house the baby's. Demonstrating effective calming techniques is of import for such parents. In addition, describing slumber cycles in addition to using the “Roadmap for Breastfeeding Success” enables parents to anticipate upcoming changes inwards their child’s demeanour every bit the baby’s encephalon develops. If my consultations are short, I am mindful non to ambit the parents besides much data but volition forthwith them to farther reading on the HUG Your Baby website, blog, in addition to complimentary nurture newsletter. 

Using The HUG Strategies in addition to resources is thus satisfying when I realize that I receive got enhanced a parent-child human relationship in addition to increased the skills in addition to confidence of mothers in addition to fathers at a most vulnerable fourth dimension inwards their lives. Though I receive got 21 years’ sense working amongst parents, in addition to every bit a midwife, completing the Certified HUG Teacher plan has increased my cognition in addition to skills, giving me fifty-fifty to a greater extent than effective tools to back upward in addition to encourage the novel parents I run with.