#345: Nurturing Babies’ Brains to Revolutionize Mental Health with Greer Kirshenbaum

In this episode, I chat with Greer Kirshenbaum, an Author, Mother, Neuroscientist, Doula, and Infant and Family Sleep Specialist. We discuss the power of nurture and how understanding early nurturing experiences can shape our adult lives and parenting styles. Greer talks about the importance of gentleness and modeling foundational pillars like nervous system regulation and setting healthy boundaries with children. We also explore the history and long-term effects of sleep training methods. Join us on this thought-provoking journey into the transformative effects of nurturing and neuroscience.

Greer Kirshenbaum PhD has combined her academic training with her experience as a doula and mother to lead The Nurture Revolution - A movement to nurture our babies’ brains to revolutionize mental health and impact larger systems in our world. Greer wants families, professionals, and workplaces to understand how early caregiving experience can boost mental wellness and diminish depression, anxiety, and addiction in adulthood by shaping babies’ brains through simple intuitive enriching experiences in pregnancy, birth, and infancy. 

—Instagram @nurture_neuroscience_parenting:  https://www.instagram.com/nurture_neuroscience_parenting

—Website: www.nurture-neuroscience.com

—Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution

If you want to dive deeper into Mark’s content, search through every episode, find specific topics we’ve covered, and ask him questions, go to his Dexa page: https://dexa.ai/markgroves

Themes: Nurturing, Boundaries, Nervous System, Emotional Health, Belonging, Self-Worth, Self-Love, Health, Attachment Theory, Transformation, Parenting, Mental Health

0:00:00 Intro

0:05:30 The Cultural Conversation Around Parenting and Shame

0:08:39 Notable Differences in the Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Prefrontal Cortex

0:12:03 The Key Years for Emotional Brain Development

0:22:42 Epigenetics and the Legacy of Nurturing

0:27:14 The Dose-dependent Relationship of Time Spent with Babies

0:30:10 Breastfeeding and its Benefits for Brain Development

0:37:00 Allowing Toddlers to Explore Boundaries and Teach Healthy Boundaries

0:42:39 The Origins of Sleep Training: A Controversial Topic

0:46:50 Babies' Fight or Flight Response: Distress and Fear

0:47:25 The Intense Experience of Parenting and its Toll.

0:51:33 The Controversy of Sleep Training

0:54:57 The Effects of Chronic Cortisol on Children's Sleep

0:55:25 The Impact of Inconsistent Sleep Training

0:58:39 Exploring Different Therapeutic Tools for Stress Regulation

1:03:05 Reviewing and Teaching Emotional Regulation to Children

1:04:51 Four Questions

1:06:28 Showing Care and Love for Our Children

This episode is sponsored by Organifi: Use code CREATETHELOVE for 20% off sitewide at http://www.organifi.com/createthelove

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