This is our 2nd Sunday of our SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT series, where we feature one of our loyal readers and a post of their choosing. This is written BY READERS, FOR READERS! Are you interested in guest blogging for AMB? Email us at [email protected]!

Tonight we have fellow mom and AMB follower, Sara Odom!

Sara is the owner of Snacky Baby where she offers an array of recipes and food options for kids and families alike!

YOUR NEWBORN BABY IS TALKING TO YOU!

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Three years ago, I learned a fascinating way to decode or tune into my babies’ cry. Have you ever heard of Dunstan’s Baby Language? It was on Oprah a few years ago. A friend suggested I buy Dunstan Baby Language before I had my first baby. As curious as I was during my first pregnancy and only one month away from my due date, I bought it and was amazed. So I told all of my friends who were pregnant at the time about this miraculous method of communicating with your newborn.

Back then, I thought moms guessed or had mother’s intuition to know if their baby was hungry, tired, uncomfortable or overstimulated and checked all of the above before being right. Nope. You see, what I learned is that every baby is born with the ability to express their need through sound and there is a direct co-relation to 5 universal pre-cry sounds. All babies regardless of race, color and nationality, have the same 5 pre cry sounds.

Let me explain, so Dunstan Baby Language is based on the work of an Australian mom, Priscilla Dunstan, a classically trained musician with photographic memory for sound. She decoded infant cry patterns which are sort of a “baby language” based on phonetic sounds, which are created as part of the automatic reflexes that all newborn babies make.

Secrets from Dunstan Baby Language

The EASIEST way to hear these 5 crucial sounds is in the pre-cry stage-those first sounds a baby makes when they begin to fuss before crying escalates.

  1. ‘Neh’ means “I am hungry” This baby cry sound is created as part of the sucking reflex. Neh has the distinctive ‘n’ sound at the beginning, while the baby’s tongue touches the roof of their mouth when making this sound. Other cues associated with Neh are the baby’s head turning side to side, licking of lips and sucking on fists. For example, I would here “Neh” and this gave me the signal to breastfeed on demand.
  2.  ‘Owh’ means “I am tired.” This is essentially the yawn reflex with sound added. This pre-cry sound has a round oval-shaped mouth associated to it. The Owh sound often comes just before other signs of the infant being tired. For example, both my babies would arch their back, do jerky movements and rub their eyes. I found it easier by listening for the “Owh” sound and putting them to sleep to avoid an over-tired or over-stimulated baby.
  3. ‘Eh’ means “I need to burp.” This pre-cry sound is produced when the chest tightens in an attempt to release trapped air bubbles. For example, you will hear a distinctive short and repetitive “Eh, Eh Eh, Eh”… sound.
  4. ‘Eairh’ means “I have gas pain.” This pre-cry is the sound associated with lower abdomen gas discomfort and pain. What distinguishes “Eairh” is that it sounds much more urgent and distressed. For example, my son’s face scrunched up, and pulled his legs toward his stomach.
  5. ‘Heh‘ means “I am uncomfortable.” This sound is linked with a reflex to sensations on the skin, such as physical discomfort (being too warm/cold or having a dirty diaper). There is a distinctive breathy-sounding ‘H’ sound at the beginning of “Heh” and sometimes it sounds a bit like panting. For example, my son would make the “Heh” sound and often be sweaty or clammy. Another example is if either baby soiled their diaper, I found that they would squirm more than usual and may not want to feed.

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Okay, I know this is a lot to remember but if you refer to these 5 sounds and post them to a board at home or your refrigerator, I can assure you will be much more inclined to use them with your newborn baby.

Remember, baby listening is about the subtle yet important difference between hearing a baby cry and listening to the meaning within the cry. For example, if I wanted to be able to really tune in to my baby and hear the Dunstan-words, I would wear my baby in our baby carrier or moby wrap for about three months every day. Sounds like a lot but by doing this, I was able to respond to their need quickly and a lot easier because I could hear and see what they needed. I wasn’t always right with every sound but I eventually got better. Sleeping routines got easier and everyone was happy.
When I first started using this method, I can remember how wonderful it was to have this extra bit of language backed-up with the physical cues I was already picking up. Thank goodness for Dunstan Baby Language!

Let’s spread the words or languages to other parents to be!

DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOUR BABY WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU? HAVE YOU EVER USED THE DUNSTAN BABY LANGUAGE?

 

 

 

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