Spoil Your Baby

Why is breastfeeding often a learned skill that requires a "village" rather than just a natural instinct?
Emma Pickett began her professional life as a teacher before the birth of her own children sparked a deep passion for lactation. She quickly realized that breastfeeding is a continuing line from teaching, as both roles involve helping people reach their goals and feel successful. Emma transitioned from a volunteer breastfeeding counselor to a certified International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011. She has dedicated her career to supporting families and even helping grandmothers who wish they had better support in their younger years.
One of her biggest challenges is navigating a modern society that lacks the "drip-drip" of evolutionary knowledge once passed down through generations. She observes that industrialization has separated families into nuclear pockets, leaving many new mothers holding a baby for the first time without ever seeing someone breastfeed. Emma transformed her approach by viewing breastfeeding not just as a set of statistics, but as a deeply personal goal and a relationship that needs nurturing. She advocates for "responsive feeding" over strict schedules and helps mothers reclaim their intuition. Today, she is a leading voice in maternal support, writing books on toddler feeding and providing a library of resources to ensure every mother feels capable and empowered during her matrescence.
Key Takeaways
Breastfeeding is a learned skill that often requires a teacher, a model, and a safe environment rather than just biological instinct.
We should prioritize responsive feeding by listening to the baby's needs and our environment instead of following strict app-based schedules or clocks.
Preparing during pregnancy means gathering your support resources and finding a lactation consultant you personally click with for the postpartum period.
Modern isolation means we must intentionally rebuild our "village" by including partners and family in our understanding of responsive feeding and milk supply.
The breastfeeding journey can involve winding roads like difficult latches or medical complications, but these can be overcome with the right patient support.

Resources
Emma Pickett’s Website: https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com
Emma Pickett’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmapickettibclc

Guests Bio:
Emma Pickett is a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), author, and holistic sleep coach who has been supporting breastfeeding families since 2011. She was honored in 2022 with the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain award for outstanding contribution to breastfeeding.
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How does optimal breathing and jaw development impact your child's sleep, mood, and ability to thrive?

Dr. Shereen Lim, originally a general dentist for 26 years, first delved into the world of sleep apnea due to her husband’s persistent snoring. Her initial focus was on dental devices for adults, but this quickly shifted when she wondered why children’s jaws weren't helped to grow properly from the start. She came across research indicating that palate expansion could reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in children. This led her to pursue early interceptive orthodontics. However, when she spoke to a pioneer in sleep medicine about palate expansion, she was told she was too late, which prompted a critical realization: form follows function. Her attention then shifted entirely to the earliest years of life, focusing on how to ensure a child's tongue and other oral muscles work well to promote optimal jaw development. Dr. Lim stresses that good airway health is defined by nasal breathing 24/7 and optimal jaw development, which serves as the foundation for thriving health and vitality across the ages. She emphasizes that sleep and breathing problems should be viewed as family health issues, often leading to attachment difficulties in infants and behavioral problems in older children, ultimately impacting the entire household.
Key Takeaways
Airway health is defined as promoting nasal breathing 24/7 and optimal jaw development through effective oral function.
Snoring, mouth breathing, and a lack of silence during sleep are signals that airflow difficulties may be present, leading to unrestorative sleep.
Breastfeeding, with optimal latch mechanics, is crucial because it acts as nature’s palate expander, helping develop the jaws forward and wide.
We must consider the outer borders of the airway—the jaw structures—not just tissue removal, to increase airflow and space for the tongue.
Poor breathing quality during sleep can increase the risk of behavioral, learning problems, anxiety, and separation anxiety in children.

THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 45 - Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development feat. Dr. Shereen Lim - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.
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Resources
Book Breathe, Sleep, Thrive. https://breathesleepthrivebook.com
Website: https://www.drshereenlim.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drshereenlim
Instagram: @dr.shereenlim https://www.instagram.com/dr.shereenlim

Guest Bio: Dr Lim is a Perth, Australia, based dentist with a postgraduate diploma in dental sleep medicine from the University of Western Australia.
She has been involved in the team management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea for over a decade.
Dr Lim is dedicated to promoting airway health from infancy as an alternative approach to minimize the development of these problems, and is author of the book “Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover How Airway Health Can Unlock Your Child’s Greater Health, Learning and Potential.”
Her work in private practice is restricted to tongue tie management from infancy to adulthood, early interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy.
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FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
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How can building a relationship with your baby during pregnancy transform your experience of birth and early parenthood?
Ivana Lombardo’s journey began after moving from Serbia and raising her family without her original community nearby. She faced the isolation many modern parents feel, navigating her first grueling 40-hour labor. Everything changed during her second pregnancy when she discovered HypnoBirthing, which was a "complete 180" from her first experience. This transformation led her to realize that parents in our high-pressure society don't need more rules; they need customized support to reclaim their inner wisdom. She observed that while many prepare the nursery, they often forget to prepare the actual relationship with their child. Ivana now guides families through prenatal bonding to help them find a stable anchor in the unpredictability of new parenthood. Her work bridges the gap between anxiety and confidence by helping mothers connect with their bodies and their babies before birth. We believe her story shows that when a mother feels truly supported, her baby feels it too, setting a ground-level foundation for lifelong health.

Key Takeaways
Prenatal bonding is simply the act of having a conscious, interactive relationship with your baby before they are even born.
Babies are active participants who can recognize specific songs, books, and family voices they heard during the pregnancy.
Strengthening your maternal intuition during pregnancy helps you navigate the unpredictable chaos of life with a newborn with more confidence.
Research on prenatal bonding shows significantly lower rates of C-sections, postpartum depression, and the occurrence of colicky babies.
Simple daily practices like talking or visualizing your baby can help lower maternal stress and increase essential oxytocin levels.

Resources
Great Beginnings Births Website: https://www.greatbeginningsbirths.com/prenatalbondingba
Great Beginnings Births Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbeginningsbirths
Research Paper: Prenatal Bonding (BA) as a Breakthrough in Improving Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Outcomes

Anne Goertz-Schroth, Dr. Gerhard Schroth, Dr. Raylene Phillips
https://birthpsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Z3sC25KO-1.pdf

Guests Bio:
Ivana Lombardo is a childbirth educator, HypnoBirthing instructor, women's mental health coach, and nurture neuroscience practitioner. With over 20 years of experience, she guides families through fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, helping them trust their own wisdom.
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FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
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How can we bridge the gap between knowing our patterns and actually feeling like ourselves again in early motherhood?

Mariya Garnet brings over 18 years of experience in the wellness industry, blending traditionally trained indigenous practices from the Peruvian Amazon with Western psychotherapy and expressive art therapy. Her journey into somatic and creative work was fueled by a desire to help people bridge the difficult gap between cognitive understanding and the actual felt sense of self. She works extensively with young mothers who are navigating the profound identity shifts and brain structural changes that come with matrescence.

One of the biggest challenges Mariya addresses is "primary maternal preoccupation," where a mother’s attention is rerouted entirely toward her baby, often leading to a sense of lost identity and deep grief. She guides mothers through the "messy" but transformative process of letting go of their old selves while resisting the modern pressure to instantly "get back to normal". Her key transformation involves using somatic practices like bilateral drawing and bilateral stimulation to help mothers reconnect with their bodies and their own physical needs. By reclaiming their senses, mothers can use this window of high neuroplasticity to heal early attachment wounds and break generational cycles. We believe that with the right support, mothers can emerge from this transition more confident and grounded than ever before.

Key Takeaways
Matrescence is a normal developmental shift similar to adolescence that involves real structural changes in the brain and identity.
Primary maternal preoccupation is a biological survival mechanism that reroutes a mother's focus entirely toward her baby's needs.
Simple somatic practices like bilateral drawing or humming can help mothers reconnect with their felt sense of self during postpartum.
Motherhood acts as a mirror that brings early attachment wounds to the surface, offering a unique window for deep psychological healing.
Improving your ability to hold difficult emotions, rather than just trying to feel better, helps widen your nervous system's circle of tolerance.

Resources
Somatic Therapy for Mothers: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/somatic-therapy-directory
Website: https://www.silverowltherapy.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariyagarnet

Guests Bio:
Mariya Garnet is a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) and the founder of Silver Owl Therapy. She is a professional artist and a traditionally trained facilitator with experience in indigenous wellness practices and Western psychotherapy. Mariya specializes in creative and somatic work, helping clients fill the gap between knowing and feeling.
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FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
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How can the way your baby learns to move today shape the way they learn about the world for the rest of their lives?

Amy Matthews and Sarah Barnaby are the co-founders of Babies Project, but their path into this work didn't start with being parents themselves. Amy began her career in dance and theater, always curious about the "underpinnings" of how adults move and use their bodies. Sarah grew up in a very athletic family and spent years in gymnastics and yoga before looking for a deeper way to connect movement with the mind. They eventually met through their training in Body-Mind Centering and realized that working with infants offered the most satisfying way to explore the foundations of human development.

They often see parents struggling with the "modern parenting" trap of keeping babies in containers like car seats or strollers for too long. They also noticed that many parents feel huge stress about hitting milestones on a strict timeline. Their key transformation was moving away from a "fixing" mindset to one of pure curiosity. They teach that we don't need to "teach" babies how to sit or walk. Instead, we should provide an environment where they can safely explore "horizontal life" and even practice falling to build resilience. By using gentle techniques like the "baby ball" hold, they help parents settle their babies and trust in their child's natural ability to navigate the world. We believe this perspective offers a beautiful way to slow down and truly see what our babies are capable of.
Key Takeaways
Learning to move is actually learning to learn, which influences a baby’s lifelong ability to engage with and understand their surrounding world.
We should focus less on the exact timing of milestones and more on the rich quality and curiosity of the movement process itself.
Falling is not a failure but a vital skill that helps infants build physical resilience and trust in their own bodies.
Spending time in horizontal positions on the floor helps babies bond with the earth and feel supported by gravity on all sides.
Holding a baby in the "baby ball" position helps them orient to their midline and creates a settling baseline for their nervous system.

Resources
Babies Project Website: https://www.babiesproject.org
Preparing for Caring Resources: https://www.babiesproject.org/preparing-for-caring
IDME Training Information: https://www.bodymindcentering.com/program/infant-developmental-movement-education
Sonder Movement Project: https://www.sondermoves.com/idme

Guests Bio:
Amy Matthews, CMA, IDME, BMC Teacher, RSMT/RSME, has been teaching movement since 1994. She is a Body-Mind Centering® Teacher and an Infant Developmental Movement Educator. She co-authored the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy and serves as a Program Director for the School for Body-Mind Centering.
Sarah Barnaby is a certified BMC Teacher and Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME). She is trained in the Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) system and is a post-partum doula. She teaches developmental movement to people of all ages, from infants to elders, in New York City.
Ready to Connect with Greer?
"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com
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FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution