When our son Charlie was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4—almost five years ago now—we were so lost. We had no idea what we were doing, where to go for more info, where to find help, or who to talk to to find out what we should expect. We had no one to guide us on this unexpected journey. It felt like walking into a new world completely blind. We didn’t know where anything was, tripped a lot, and got lost.

But we kept walking. We kept fighting. We kept searching. No one in our life knew what we were going through. We tried many different options for therapies from professionals. Some were helpful, some were a complete joke. The problem was, the majority of the professionals we met didn’t understand either. They knew what they were taught from textbooks. Not real life. There’s a huge difference—living it vs. reading about it. And while some have been helpful in some ways—they are not our people.

Before his diagnosis, at age 2, we were connected with our local Birth-to-3 team who worked with both Christian and Charlie on areas they were still behind from being born three months premature. While they did some amazing work with the boys we told them of some of the concerns we were seeing with Charlie. They saw it too, but they weren’t quite sure what to tell us. In fact, at one point they told us not to worry because it definitely wasn’t autism because he made such good eye contact. What did we know at that point? Nothing.

Eventually, Charlie aged out of their program and we were forced to look for more help. We started exploring several different therapies: PT and OT were the first two therapies that proved to be helpful for us and gave us so much knowledge. But then our insurance stopped covering their services. We were crushed. They were our people. After being on lengthy waitlists for other therapies we were introduced to Charlie’s main autism/family therapist. To make a long story short, 4 years later and we are still working with her today. She’s nothing short of amazing. She is our people.

About a year after diagnosis we found a local support group for parents. Tyler and I checked it out and thought it could work until it didn’t. It seemed like the people in the group had already formed relationships and didn’t need any new-comers. Unfortunately, we didn’t feel very welcomed. To be honest, it stung a little. I mean, aren’t us parents supposed to stick together? Those were not our people.

When the boys were really little we started searching for a new church to call home. Someone suggested a certain church in our neighboring town. We went a few times to get a feel for it. It was different than what we were used to but we kept going, we really liked it. And they had an amazing kids ministry.  We knew no one when we started going there but we were welcomed with open arms and fully embraced. We even had a couple of teachers who took the time to get to know the boys and what would help Charlie separate from us and be successful with his peers. This blew us away. Without these people, we might not have stayed. We are so glad we did. These are our people.

A few years ago a local group called Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch wanted to do a test run for a summer autism camp where families could come together, shed the discrimination, stigma, and stares, and just have fun as a family. We were lucky enough to get in and what we found when we got there was incredible. We found we were welcomed from the moment we walked in and with no judgements. We were surrounded by other autism families who understood our journey. We didn’t need to explain our journey or apologize for behaviors. They just knew this different life. We have gone back to that summer camp every years since then. We’ve met some great friends at that camp. These are our people.

Then one night my husband was scrolling through Facebook and stumbled across a video from Kate Swenson. She has a Facebook page called Finding Cooper’s Voice. My husband watched the video and immediately told me I needed to watch it. I did and with tears in my eyes I told my husband, “She gets it.” She lives autism daily as we do. I spent the next couple of hours on her page reading posts and watching videos. I knew right away I needed to get to know her. That was several years ago now. Along the way, I’ve not only found Kate but a whole tribe of supportive and understanding men and women who also understand life with autism. These are our people. This is our tribe.

When we started this blog we only intended to use it to educate people on why we were fundraising for Charlie’s service dog. But it’s become so much more than that. Even after fundraising, we kept the blog going. It’s helpful for Tyler and me to express our wide range of emotions and experiences, but we also want to bring hope and light to other families who might be at the beginning of their journey. We don’t want people to feel lost as we did. If you haven’t found your people yet, I encourage you to keep searching. Because when you finally find them, it will be a beautiful thing.

This post originally appeared on Adventures of Charlie & Sunny.

Kayla lives in Minnesota with her husband and three boys.  Her son Charlie was diagnosed with autism at age 4.  She has been blogging their journey since 2017.  They navigate daily life with autism and their son's service dog, Sunny.  

Your baby becomes calm when in your arms but is there more to it than just knowing you are near? A new study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) and York University, Canada shows being held by a parent with skin-to-skin contact reduces how strongly a newborn baby’s brain responds to a painful medical jab. The scientists report in the European Journal of Pain that there was more activity in the brains of newborn babies in reaction to the pain when a parent was holding them through clothing, than without clothing.

Joint senior author, Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi from UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology said, “We have found when a baby is held by their parent, with skin-on-skin contact, the higher-level brain processing in response to pain is somewhat dampened. The baby’s brain is also using a different pathway to process its response to pain. While we cannot confirm whether the baby actually feels less pain, our findings reinforce the important role of touch between parents and their newborn babies.”

The study involved 27 infants, 0-96 days old and born premature or at term age, at University College London Hospitals. The researchers were measuring their response to a painful but clinically required heel lance (blood test). Brain activity was recorded with EEG (electroencephalography) electrodes placed on the scalp.

The babies were either held by their mother skin-to-skin (wearing a diaper, against their mother’s chest), or held by their mother with clothing, or else lying in a cot or incubator (most of these babies were swaddled).

The researchers found that the initial brain response to the pain was the same, but as the heel lance elicited a series of four to five waves of brain activity, the later waves of activity were impacted by whether the baby was held skin-to-skin or with clothing.

Joint senior author, Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell from the Department of Psychology, York University, Canada said, “The slightly delayed response was dampened if there was skin contact with their mother, which suggests that parental touch impacts the brain’s higher level processing. The pain might be the same, but how the baby’s brain processes and reacts to that pain depends on their contact with a parent. Our findings support the notion that holding a newborn baby against your skin is important to their development.”

The brains of the babies that remained in the cot or incubator also reacted less strongly to the pain than those held in clothing, but the researchers say that may be because the babies were not disrupted by being picked up before the procedure, or else due to the success of the sensitive, individualized care they were provided.

The babies’ behavior was not significantly different between the groups, although the skin-to-skin group did exhibit slightly reduced responses in terms of facial expression and heart rate. Other studies have found that skin-to-skin contact with a parent does affect baby behavior, and may reduce how strongly they react to pain, but those studies did not investigate the brain response.

In the current study, the babies’ brain responses were not only dampened in the skin-to-skin group, but also followed a different neural pathway.

First author, Dr. Laura Jones from UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology said, “Newborn babies’ brains have a high degree of plasticity, particularly those born preterm, and their development is highly dependent on interactions with their parents. Our findings may lend new insights into how babies learn to process threats, as they are particularly sensitive to maternal cues.”

Co-author Dr. Judith Meek from University College London Hospitals said, “Parents and clinicians have known for many years how important skin to skin care is for babies in NICU. Now we have been able to demonstrate that this has a solid neurophysiological basis, which is an exciting discovery.”

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (UK) and the International Association for the Study of Pain.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Kevin Liang  via Unsplash

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I’m 34 weeks pregnant. This little one is my fourth baby, fourth daughter. I’ve been reflecting lately. The things I’ve missed. The time lost. The tenderness and love. What I hope to do better. My first daughter was born when I was only 19 years old. After she was born, I was changed. I’m sure only I noticed, but it was undeniable. I was no longer a child. I was a woman. A mother had been born.

I was a young mother, and I made plenty of mistakes. But with Olivia, it was all about the magic. I read chapter books to her while she nursed. I carried her all over the farm during lambing season, watching her daddy work. I shared with her my love for rocks. Fostered a wonder in bleached bones and wildflowers. Taught her how to make wishes on dandelions and feel the colors of the sunset. We explored peacefully, quietly, in our introverted way. By the time she was 3, some family members began to question her mental health. Rumors were spread and conversations had without anyone voicing their concerns to me. I felt betrayed and defensive. And testing and doctor visits confirmed what I knew: no issues.

Again, I was changed. A new kind of mother had been born. A protective mother. I had been burned by other’s well-intentioned advice which led me down a path of discovery. I discovered I was worthy. I discovered I was the most important person in my daughter’s life. I discovered that God sent her to ME because He trusted ME to be in her corner. 

I discovered that every mother feels she is an expert, but they forget how they came to feel that way. They forget the many “births” they endured to know what they know. The thing about birth though, is it isn’t transferable. It’s wholly personal. Each mother, and child, must endure her own. So, as I planned my next birth, I politely ignored the pressure-filled advice and counsel of those who had gone before. Their success and failures were not mine and I refused to hold their weight.  

​Joslynn’s pregnancy was hard, but her birth was beautiful. It was calm and peaceful and perfect. Her birth changed me. A new kind of mother was born. A mother that was empowered. A mother that knew she could do hard things. A mother that understood the process. A mother that felt completely in control.  Perfection became my mantra. We followed all the rules. I was in control. I realized the mistakes I had made as that young inexperienced mother and I was ready to do better. To be better. 

Baby #3 was also a girl. Instead of disappointment, all we felt was joy. At 31 weeks I began to have consistent pre-term contractions, which can cause premature birth. After many scary nights and several hospital trips, our awesome midwives and doctors were able to stop the contractions. At 35 weeks baby girl stopped growing. The hospital visits and doctor appointments seemed endless. At 38 weeks our oldest broke her collar bone, at 39 weeks we were induced. Somehow, we survived the chaos and brought home a healthy baby girl. I had changed again. Through all the chaos, a new kind of mother was born. I realized I wasn’t in control at all. The relief of finally holding my healthy 3rd daughter in my arms, safe and sound, spurred a deep desire to enjoy every tiny moment. We were all completely smitten with little Adeline. We held her too much and loved on her constantly. Then entered joy. Instead of trying to control everything to make sure it was perfect, I realized it already was. And I learned to sit back and breathe all that joy in. 

When I first became a mother, I thought that my own identity would be easily set aside for this higher purpose. That I would happily lose myself. And for a long time, I did. But suppressing parts of a soul never lasts. The child I lost when I became a mother was me. And her emergence was inevitable. I lost the magic when I gained the perfection. I lost perfection when I gained joy. And I lost all joy when I realized being a mother wasn’t enough. I fought it deeply. I felt endlessly guilty for losing the magic, the perfection, the joy. For the “I don’t know’s.” The “maybe later’s.” The “not today’s.”  The exhaustion. The impatience. The frustration. Being a mother should be enough. But I wasn’t.  It was time to give birth to myself, to my passions, my talents, my own magic and joy. It took time. Like any birth, it was a process, filled with pain. But in that process, I was changed. A new kind of mother was born. This mother found her magic, her joy. And now she can again share it with her daughters. I still carry the weight of my failures; I can’t change the past or get back the time lost. But I am not the same mother I once was. I’ve endured many births and though each different, each was necessary. I am now a mother that nurtures herself alongside her children. And I hope that when my daughters see me paint instead of fold laundry, or leave them to spend time with friends or say no to a playdate to practice self-care, they will learn.

I hope that they will learn that being a good mother isn’t losing yourself, it’s finding yourself. Finding your own magic. Finding your own joy. Finding out that everything is already perfect. We are anxious to meet our new daughter, our new little sister. And all together we will soak in the magic and perfection and joy of this new little soul God has trusted us with. Her birth will be unique. Somehow it will change me. A new kind of mother will be born. ​I can’t wait to meet her either.

This post originally appeared on my-peace-project.com.

Amy is a creator and believes everyone else is too. She strives to be artistic in all areas of life but writing is her passion and her family is her masterpiece. She uses her blog to address the joys and struggles of motherhood and is currently writing her first novel.

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford’s NICU recently hosted a bedside book event for families. In its third year, this event highlights the importance of talking and reading to premature infants.

Clinical associate professor of pediatrics and medical director of NICU Development Care Dr. Melissa Scala, MD and assistant professor of pediatrics and developmental cognitive neuroscientist at Packard Children’s Dr. Katherine Travis, Ph.D., together understand the importance spoken language has on premature babies. Through their research, Scala and Travis have found a connection between listening to parents’ voices and better short-term health outcomes for babies in the NICU.

When it comes to talking or reading to preterm infants Scala said, in a press release, “We hypothesize that it’s very important for brain development for these babies.” With this in mind, the hospital staged its third NICU reading event.

This year’s book is the ever-iconic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, in both English and Spanish. The parents were given the book and information on the importance of reading and language exposure from infancy on.

Of the event, Scala said, “For some families, this is a way they can really engage with their kids, and it’s sort of beautiful to see parents doing it during this event.” She went on to add, “It’s important to remember that the work we’re doing is truly meant to foster a normal parent-infant interaction and solidify a bond that is core to the care we provide to families in our NICU.”

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford 

 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a Food Safety Alert for ready-made hard-boiled eggs due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Following the initial alert, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an expansion of the recall to include additional products manufactured by Almark Foods at the company’s Gainesville, Georgia facility.

According to the CDC stats, the outbreak initially caused seven cases of Listeria in five states. According to the FDA’s website, “A more recent FDA sample from the facility also matched the outbreak strain, suggesting the possibility that the strain may have remained present in the facility.”

The eggs, produced by Almark Foods of Gainesville, Georgia were packaged in plastic pails for use by food service operators. The eggs were sold to retailers, and not directly to consumers. This means consumers may not know if the eggs in products they’ve purchased are contaminated. Given the new information from the FDA, Almark voluntarily expanded the recall to include all hard-boiled egg products packaged for retail made by the Gainesville plant.

The current recall includes all eggs with “Best If Used By” dates through Mar. 2, 2020. The product used by dates have a “G” prefix, indicating that the eggs were packaged in the Gainesville, Georgia facility. For a full list of recalled products, visit the FDA’s website here. The FDA has also issued additional recall alerts for retailers, such as Trader Joe’s, for products that may contain the affected eggs.

Listeria can cause fever and flu-like symptoms in pregnant women. The bacteria can also lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a potentially life-threatening infection in newborns. It can also cause headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, convulsions, fever, muscle aches or confusion in otherwise healthy children and adults. Symptoms often appear within one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food. This infection is treatable with antibiotics—making it important to contact your medical provider immediately.

The CDC had advised retailers and food service operators to stop using the peeled, hard-boiled eggs and wash/sanitize surfaces that may have come into contact with the eggs. If you have concerns about where a product’s hard-boiled eggs came from, ask the retailer to verify they were not produced by Almark Foods. If the retailer doesn’t know, skip the egg-containing product entirely.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Mona Sabha Cabrera via Pexels

 

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The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry states that children should visit a pediatric dentist after their first tooth erupts or no later than his or her first birthday. This initial dental visit is valuable because you will learn how to care for those erupting baby teeth and your child will become familiar with the dentist, the sounds and smells of the dental office and what it’s like to have someone looking in his or her mouth.

By exposing your little one to these experiences early, you may prevent the onset of dentophobia—otherwise known as fear of the dentist. That said, the first visit may be challenging for you and your child. Use the tips below to make the visit a bit more enjoyable for everyone.

Read books about dental care.

Read books to your child about visiting the dentist. For example, “Going to the Dentist” by Anne Civardi and Scholastic’s “Brush, Brush, Brush!” book are both good choices. Since role-playing is a great way to familiarize your child with what occurs during a dental exam, consider taking turns mimicking what is happening. Even if your child is an infant, ask to look inside his or her mouth. Then, let your child look into yours.

Stay positive when talking about the dentist.

When you are speaking to your child about going to the dentist for the first time, avoid using any words that may cause anxiety. For example, it is best to avoid words such as needles, drill, hurt, scared and pain.

Help your child practice proper oral care.

If your child is too small to brush and floss, you can purchase an oral care kit that is designed specifically for little ones. The kit should contain a variety of mouth-cleaning tools to keep your baby’s teeth sparkling and gums healthy.

If you would rather not purchase a kit, a wet washcloth or piece of gauze wrapped around your finger and rubbed along the gums works well. However, once the first tooth erupts, a toddler-safe, soft-bristled toothbrush needs to be used twice daily. Until your dentist approves toothpaste, have your child brush with plain water.

Brush and floss with enthusiasm!

You can show your little one that oral care isn’t frightening by brushing and flossing enthusiastically. Be somewhat animated about it—make faces and squint your eyes—besides getting a laugh, you will be showing your child that taking care of your teeth can be fun.

Counter your child’s fears by remaining calm.

Children can easily read their parents’ emotions. Therefore, it is necessary that your child believes you are calm and relaxed, even if you are not. If you have dentophobia, you may want to ask your child’s other parent to bring him or her to the appointment. When this isn’t possible, speak with the pediatric dentist before the appointment. This information may be helpful as the dentist prepares for your child’s first visit.

Recognize the teeth and tongue during games.

Children love learning about parts of their bodies. For years, we have been teaching them to point to their noses, eyes, ears, belly buttons, etc. While these are all important parts of the body, the teeth and tongue are also essential. Add these to your list. Then, when the dentist asks to look at your child’s tongue, he or she can boldly stick it out.

Lead by example.

Primary teeth have a thinner layer of enamel than permanent teeth, which is why baby teeth are more susceptible to decay. As such, regular dental visits are crucial to maintaining the health of your child’s teeth and gums.

You can set a good example by consistently visiting your dentist. This consistency helps your child view going to the dentist for biannual checkups and cleanings in a more positive light.

While many believe the primary teeth are not as important as the secondary teeth, this is not the case. Even though these teeth are only in the mouth for a short time, their presence has a lasting effect on your child’s future dental needs.

The premature loss of a primary tooth leads to reduced space for the adult teeth, which ultimately results in crowding. Follow the above tips and your child’s first dentist visit can set him or her up for a lifetime of good oral health.

Dr. Sheila Harris is owner of Natomas Crossing Dental Care in Sacramento, California. Dr. Harris has been a licensed dentist since 2000, after graduating from Northwestern University School of Dentistry.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed the initial data from an ongoing longterm study on screen time’s effect on kids’ brains—and the findings are pretty eye-opening. Dr. Gaya Dowling of the NIH spoke with 60 Minutes about the study’s initial findings, which revealed that excessive screen time was linked to changes the brain pattern of young kids.

According to the study, nine and 10-year-olds who spent seven hours or more using smartphones and tablets or playing video games had signs of premature thinning of the cortex, the outer layer of the brain that processes sensory information. Kids who spent more than two hours a day using the same devices scored worse on language and thinking tests.

Photo: Rawpixel

Before you panic, Dowling puts initial findings study into some context. “We don’t know if it’s being caused by the screen time. We don’t know yet if it’s a bad thing,” Dowling told 60 Minutes.

“It won’t be until we follow them over time that we will see if there are outcomes that are associated with the differences that we’re seeing in this single snapshot.” These findings came from brain scans taken on 4,500 nine- and 10-year-olds. The longitudinal study will follow a total of 11,000 kids to understand adolescent brain development and the impact of screens.

While it will be several years before the study is completed, you can look to the American Academy of Pediatrics and its guidelines on screen time for kids, namely that parents should skip screens for babies younger than 18 to 24 months, limit screens to no more than one hour per day for kids ages two to five and no screens for at least one hour before bed for kids of all ages.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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There wasn’t anything that prepared me for the birth of my son Evan 10 weeks early. At that time, my husband had just received a job offer, requiring us to relocate almost 500 miles away. We quickly packed up all of our belongings and made the move to San Diego. Four days later, living in a hotel and just a few weeks before Christmas, I suddenly went into preterm labor and delivered Evan three hours later, weighing just 3.3lbs.

Shocked and unprepared, my husband and I soldiered on with multiple trips to and from the neonatal intensive care unit where Evan was being monitored and tube-fed for eight weeks because he had issues swallowing. According to our medical team, the NICU was a necessary measure as preterm babies are at greater risk for breathing problems, feeding difficulties and sudden death syndrome–among others.

Dealing with this—coupled with raising a toddler and my husband acclimating to his brand-new job—created an emotional toll on my entire family. Luckily, everything worked out for us and Evan is now 18 months old, nearly the same size and weight as if he was born at-term. Going through the experience of a preterm birth was not an easy one, but we are thankful that our story ended on a happy note.

Through my experience, I was able to learn the following about preterm birth, which I think is important for all expectant parents to take into consideration during their journey to parenthood. Miracle Babies and Sera Prognostics recently conducted a survey, and the findings reinforced many of the life lessons that I learned from giving birth to a preterm baby. I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my personal takeaways in an effort to help and prepare other expectant parents:

Empower Yourself With as Much Knowledge as You can

During my first pregnancy, I delivered 10 days late. I had a second pregnancy but it did not last long, and I miscarried at eight weeks, six months before I found out I was pregnant with Evan. With my third pregnancy, I had no morning sickness, and for the most part, it was an enjoyable experience…until it wasn’t.

When Evan was born preterm, it came as a complete shock to me. Was there more that I could or should have done? Were there any interventions I could have researched to prolong my pregnancy? Was I eating right and exercising enough? Maybe I shouldn’t have lifted heavy boxes during our move…Should I have been monitored more frequently because of my previous miscarriage? Would it have made a difference?

The survey findings show that 95 percent of expecting parents would have liked to know that their baby was at an increased risk for premature birth. Other findings further showed that of the 95 percent who answered yes, 97 percent of them still would have liked to known, even if there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it.

My doctor never spoke to me about premature birth prevalence, risk factors or signs and symptoms that may be associated with delivering prematurely, so I thought my pregnancy was going just fine. I do, however, wish I had known more to better prepare myself, friends and family and plan for my baby being born so early: I am one of the 97 percent.

Don’t Be Afraid to Speak to Your Doctor Openly

An interesting finding in the survey is that more than half of respondents said that they did not discuss preterm birth with their healthcare provider. How is this even possible? Being that 1 in 10 babies in the United States is born prematurely, there seems to be a communication barrier among parents and healthcare providers in discussing preterm birth.

With that being said, I can’t stress enough the importance of being proactive during routine exams. Doctors may not touch upon the discussion of preterm birth during office visits. Identifying a woman at risk for preterm birth earlier allows for proactive administration of interventions and development of a pregnancy care plan, so it’s essential to over communicate with your healthcare provider.

There is even a blood test that can help determine an asymptomatic woman’s individual risk for preterm birth: the PreTRM® test is the first of its kind and is a clinically-validated blood test to accurately predict early in pregnancy the risk of premature birth. Early prediction may allow parents and healthcare providers to better plan individualized treatment and care for preterm babies.

Be Your Own Health Advocate

If there’s one thing that I learned from my experience, it’s that you are the most important member of your medical team. After speaking with your doctor, why not arm yourself with more information to bring up at your next appointment? Interventions may be applied for women who have been identified at increased risk; research this online and bring it up in conversation with your doctor.

There are also some known factors that have been associated with premature birth including: prior miscarriage, IVF, family history and health/lifest‌yle factors. Familiarize yourself with as much information as possible to help determine the risks of preterm birth; Miracle Babies, a non-profit founded to support NICU babies, provided me with an abundance of resources and information. Knowledge is power, so be sure to do your homework.

No One Is to Blame

For much of the time my son was in the NICU, I felt extremely guilty. Prior to his birth and during the move to San Diego, I was actively getting organized, packing, helping move around furniture and whatever else was needed for our new home. I had convinced myself that because of this, Evan was born early. I realized that this was not true at all. You cannot blame yourself, or anyone, in this instance. The most important thing to do is take all that blame and guilt and throw it away so you can focus on the health of your baby and yourself.

Don’t Be Afraid to Reply on Your Family for Help

Between my husband’s new job and having a toddler at home, it was difficult for me to get to the NICU to visit my newborn son. It was flu season so anyone under the age of 18 was not allowed in the NICU.  I could visit Evan for an hour while my other son Andrew was in preschool before I needed to turn around and pick him up again.  At night, I would have to wait for my husband to get home from work to visit Evan.

If we didn’t have a family member to help stay home with Andrew, only one of us could go to the NICU.  There were several days we couldn’t get to the hospital at all, which made me feel very guilty.  It became increasingly difficult to spend time with my family. However, during this whole process I realized how much support family can provide.

Whenever I would start to feel disheartened, I would turn to my husband, friends and family for extra support. Having people to speak to and rely on is an important part to make it through your preterm birth. I had an amazing support system and made a decision to accept help early on–and in doing that, I was less stressed and able to focus on more important things.

Every day can be a challenge, so it is necessary to have a “clear head” throughout the process.

I'm a wife and mother of two sweet boys. I love all things related to health, wellness and photography. I enjoy spending as much time with my family as possible. I am here to share my pregnancy journey and empower mothers everywhere to speak to their doctors about the risks of pre-term birth.

photo: photo: grisguerra via pixabay

The next time your great aunt Gertrude tries to tell you that you’re spoiling your baby by picking her up all the time, you can end the debate once and for all because science has your back. A new study proves that cuddling your baby not only won’t cause harm, it actually has tremendous benefits for brain development. Read on to find out more about the scientifically proven benefits of holding your baby too much.

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio studied 125 preemies and full-term babies to learn about how they responded to gentle touch. Based on their findings, the study concluded that supportive, touch-based care, like skin-to-skin contact, in the very earliest days of life was associated with stronger brain responses to touch later in life. In other words, holding and cuddling newborn babies helps stimulate sensory system growth and development. This growth lays the groundwork for perceptual, cognitive, and social development as your baby gets older.

Of the babies observed, the study found that those who were premature were more likely to have a reduced brain response to touch, and further still, those preemies that received an increased amount of touch-based care had a stronger response to sensory stimulation than those who weren’t touched or held as often, proving the importance of touch for sensory development in all babies, but especially those born premature.

“Making sure that preterm babies receive positive, supportive touch such as skin-to-skin care by parents is essential to help their brains respond to gentle touch in ways similar to those of babies who experienced an entire pregnancy inside their mother’s womb,” says Nathalie Maitre of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “When parents cannot do this, hospitals may want to consider occupational and physical therapists to provide a carefully planned touch experience, sometimes missing from a hospital setting.”

Do you think holding and cuddling your baby is important to health and happiness? Share your thoughts in the comments.