Infant stimulation - a good read!

Since I'm too lazy to look it up, here's the post : http://hotbabyfinds.com/stimulating-textures

I learned a new term the other day: Infant Stimulation. My uncle and aunty’s son was born premature and she got really into infant stimulation to help speed up his development. Today he is a musical genius and we just attended his wedding (he married another musical genius). It got me thinking about how what you do with your baby, how you play with him/her, can really alter the course of his/her life.

What is infant stimulation?For babies, playing stimulates their senses, and helps them learn and develop. Playing with your baby — or infant stimulation — includes activities that arouse or stimulate your baby’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Infant stimulation can improve your baby’s curiosity, attention span, memory, and nervous system development. Babies who are stimulated reach developmental milestones faster, have better muscle coordination, and a more secure self image.

Infant Stimulation ActivitiesSometimes it’s hard to know how to play with your infant when they are not yet that responsive. Even as they become more responsive, the creativity is often lacking when you’re sleep deprived. Here are some ideas for things you can do and “toys” you can make from household items. (You don’t need to break the bank on often OVER-stimulating toys.) I’m going to try some of these out on Cole soon.

MOVING IMAGES - Hold a mirror to one side of your baby's face. When he can focus on it, move it slowly across his field of vision. Shine a torch on the wall and move it slowly so he can follow the light.
RATTLES - Put some dried beans into a plastic container and fasten the lid on securely with tape. Shake it gently to one side of your baby's head and wait for him to locate the sound. You can try different sounds as well such as rice, buttons and macaroni.

CARDBOARD BOXES - Babies love playing with empty soap or toothpaste boxes. You can even fill these with buttons or dried beans. Remember to seal the box properly.

WOOLLY BALL - Make pompoms using colorful wool. These can be of different sizes and colors. Tie these to the mobile or let the baby play with them.

SCRUNCH BAG - Fill a bag with colored cellophane paper, metallic gift-wrap or any other paper that makes noise. Fasten the bag firmly, then let your baby discover the noise it makes when he kicks at it or scrunches it in his fists.

PLAY MAT - Sew pieces of material with different textures-wool, corduroy, satin, terry toweling, fur fabric, etc, on to a piece of blanket or thick cotton for your baby to play on. As the baby explores the mat he will encounter different textures.

COTTON-REEL PRAM TOY - Collect some scraps of fabric with different textures-terry toweling, velvet or satin, for example. Sew or glue them firmly around empty cotton reels. Thread them on to a length of thick cord, making a knot at either side of each cotton reel so that it has room to move. Tie across the pram or cot.

BUBBLES - Make a bubble mixture by mixing one teaspoon of vegetable oil, three teaspoons of washing -up liquid and half a cup of water. Bend a piece of wire into a ring for blowing the bubble mixture through. Your baby will love to look at these elusive bubbles.

HANDKERCHIEF TRAIL -Tie several hankies or thin scarves together by the corners. Push them into an empty tissue box by the corners -the end of one just sticking out of the opening. Watch your baby's delight as he pulls out one handkerchief and then finds another…and them yet another!

PEEK-A-BOO GAMES - Hide your face behind a cushion and pop our, saying, 'Boo' Or drop a hanky gently on the your baby's face and them let him pull it off.

Coming home from the hospitalThings you can do right away with baby...

SightBabies begin to tell the difference between light and dark before their born. At birth, an infant can clearly see an object 10–13 inches from her face. For the first three months, babies enjoy contrasting colors and patterns, especially black and white. Older infants like bright, bold colors — red, blue, green, and yellow. In the hospital, you can:

• Give your baby toys with contrasting patterns and colors, or hang them in the crib.
• Use mobiles, crib mirrors or crib gyms.
• Place your face 10–13 inches from your baby.
• Always hold and look at your baby while feeding him.
• Play peek-a-boo.
• Place objects so your baby can see and reach for them.
• Show your baby pictures from a storybook as you read.
• Hang pictures of family members on the crib.

TouchTouching is one of the best ways to stimulate your baby. It provides contact, reassurance, relaxation, and comfort. Babies like firm and gentle stroking. Touching a variety of textures will fascinate your baby. 

• Stroke your baby from head to toe with a different fabrics or household items (cotton ball, tooth brush, sponge, etc.).
• Gently massage your baby.
• Trickle water over your baby during bath time.
• Play pat-a-cake.
• Gently exercise your baby’s arms and legs, moving them smoothly and slowly.
• Rock your baby — it imitates life in the womb.

Taste and SmellBabies notice different tastes and smells. You can:

• Let your baby taste and smell different things — one at a time in case of allergies.
• Check with your doctor to see if you can feed your baby new kinds of foods.
• Use a blanket with a little bit of your perfume on it. 

HearingA newborn’s most highly developed sense is hearing — babies can hear and remember familiar sounds months before they’re born. One of the easiest ways to calm a newborn is to hold him next to his mother’s chest so he can hear her heart. Infants seem to prefer soft and high-pitched sounds, especially a female’s voice. You can:

• Talk to your baby.
• Play musical toys or radios.
• Shake a rattle or ring a bell from different areas of the crib.
• Attach bells to your baby’s booties.
• Sing to your baby.
• Expose your baby to different sounds.
• Read a story to your baby.
• Don’t make loud noises or put earphones on your baby — they can easily damage his hearing.
• Make a CD of noises (a car horn, a door slamming, children laughing, your voice) for your baby to listen to.

Things to remember about infant stimulation

• Infants feel more secure when they can feel boundaries around them — like blankets rolled up and placed close to their sides and feet.
• Let your baby sit up on your lap so she can look around.
• Change toys so your baby doesn’t get bored.
• It’s best to touch the non-threatening parts of your infant’s body first (arms and legs).
• Stimulation will work best when an infant is alert, active and paying attention.
• Keep your baby warm.
• If your baby is being stimulated properly, he/she will smile, coo, babble, make eye contact, have alert facial expression and will interact with people or toys.
• If your baby gets tired or loses interest, it may mean she’s had enough stimulation and is tired. Let her rest.