S9 E3 Inside The Newborn Mind: Tools For Teaching Parents How To Understand Their Babies InCast podcast

Content provided by InJoy Health Education. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by InJoy Health Education or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

InCast »
S9 E3 Inside the Newborn Mind: Tools for Teaching Parents How to Understand Their Babies

1M ago 37:54

MP3•Episode home

Hillary helps us learn how newborns experience their brand-new world —and how we as educators and doulas can help families understand them in ways they may have never been taught. Rather than seeing babies as a blob to be shaped, we can recognize them as fully formed people with unique needs. Transitioning from an internal dark, warm, water-filled home to the bright, ever-changing world can be quite an undertaking— but with our love and guidance, we can help them grow to their full potential, starting from the very first breath. Learning more about how we can teach this in a wonderfully sensitive way can change families’ lives.

About Hillary

Hillary Menke, ICCE, is a childbirth and newborn care instructor with The Women's Clinic of Northern Colorado whose passion lies in the respectful, intentional care of very young children. She earned her BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado and began her career working with infants through kindergarteners in the classroom. To deepen her understanding of whole-child development, she pursued Waldorf Teacher Training at Sound Circle Center, focusing on supporting children's growth beyond academics—nurturing what it means to be deeply, joyfully human.

It was with the birth of her own little one and coming to grips with the awe-filled, wild ride of motherhood that this passion extended to the care of new parents in their journeys through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She earned her childbirth educator certification through ICEA and now helps families navigate this transformative time with evidence-based education and compassionate guidance. Her goal is to build confidence in parents as they care for their babies in ways that reflect their values, wisdom, and dreams.

What You’ll Learn:

What current neuroscience reveals about how babies actually perceive the world
Why educators need to role model respectful interaction with their “babies” in the classroom
What the differences are between infant and adult brain waves
How we can demonstrate ways for parents to empathize with their babies
Why a parent’s calm demeanor can change the interaction with baby
How to teach ways to decode infant cues
Why free movement is part of respectful infant care

Hillary’s Favorite Resources:

Baby Bare by Stephanie Johnson
The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum
Unruffled with Janet Lansbury (Podcast)
Anything from Magda Gerber or Dr. Emi Pikler