Montessori At Birth

Settling a newborn- the Montessori way (Montessori Voices magazine version)

July 1, 2019 by jayabalar

I love writing for Montessori Voices (NZ Montessori magazine). I am grateful to have met Cathy, the lovely editor and executive direction of MANZ, NZ at our AMI 0-3 certificate training last year. My first article was released at the start of this year on “Preparing a Montessori Newborn Space” and I choose to write the second article on ‘Settling a Newborn-the Montessori way” because I found the birth month really hard and was immensely grateful to have read about the Montessori way and the crucial importance of those first few weeks of life. I hope you find this article useful and please do share with any new mum you know…

Symbiotic Period is the first 6-8 weeks in a newborns life that have a significant impact on their overall development depending on the level of care provided by the mother/primary caregiver. The mother-child relationship is established through the following three forms of contact:

Holding- The body language from the primary caregiver as she holds it provides the newborn information about their caregiver’s attitude and feelings towards the baby. When a newborn is held with loving kindness it provides them a reassurance that they are accepted and loved.

Much research has shown that the extent and quality of care the mother provides the child are strongly conditioned by the amount of time they spent together during the first days after birth.- Dr. Montanaro.

Handling- A caregiver’s positive involvement while changing, dressing and bathing the newborn becomes another vital tool for the baby’s smooth transition into their new environment. By involving a newborn in his/her care routine by slowing down and letting them know what is going to happen to them next helps the baby feel secure and respected.

Feeding- Breast milk is recommended as the most optimum food for an infant. Apart from it being the most appropriate biological food, it also gives the infant and mother a sense of unity which helps in building secure attachment. If, you need to bottle fed, it is recommended that the primary caregiver feeds the infant during this period.

If all these experiences have been positive during the Symbiotic Period then the necessary integration between the child’s mind and body has happened and this becomes the moment of their psychological birth. The profound meaning of what happens in this period will have an effect throughout life.

Here are some Montessori guidelines that ease the transition during the Symbiotic Period:

Observing, Responding and Following the child– It is important to pay attention and be intuitive about our babies. A fantastic aid in the beginning few weeks while we got to know and understand each other was the Dunston baby language. All babies have a similar voice/ cry for the same reason. Once we understood the reason for the crying, we responded immediately.

“This basic trust produces optimistic individuals who will perceive the world as a beautiful place and who believe, no matter how difficult circumstances become, that external help can be found.”- Dr. Montanaro.

Freedom of movement is crucial from birth. So minimal or if possible don’t use of mittens, pacifier, swaddle, containers (swings, bouncers). Instead baby uses the floor bed and movement mat on the floor to have a complete view of their environment and freedom to move their body. It is also crucial that their “points of reference”, which is their memory during their time in the womb, are always available for a smooth transition during this period. These are mother’s voice, her heartbeat and freedom to touch their own body.

Importance of concentration– A newborn has an immense capacity to concentrate for long periods of time and Montessori mobiles are a great aid to concentration. The role of an adult is to not disturb the baby once they start concentrating. The scientific sequence to Montessori mobiles is developmentally appropriate to a child’s growing visual sense. Here is the sequence we followed:

Birth to 3 weeks- the child absorbs the environment, while placed on a movement mat.

4^th week- introduced Munari mobile (black and white)

6^th week- introduced mobile (introduction to primary colours)

8^th week- introduced Rainbow mobile (introduction to secondary colours)

9^th week- introduced Gobbi mobile (introduction to gradation of colours from darkest to lightest)

11^th week- introduced dancer’s mobile (realistic shapes and represents movement, flexibility, bodily expression and potency).

This is followed by batting and grasping mobiles.

It is our capacity to become altered by sustained attention to our surroundings that is the most spiritual quality of human beings.- Montessori from the Start

Respect the child- Respectis a crucial part of the Montessori philosophy. Some ways to respect a newborn are:

– Follow the child: It is developmentally not possible to spoil a baby! So when a baby wants to cluster feed or be held for long periods, follow the child because that’s what they need to feel secure in this new world.

– Communicate and involve them during personal cares: Letting them know what is about to happen to them before actually doing it lets them know what to expect and lays the foundation for their self-esteem and respect in relationships.

– Respect their need for personal space: It is recommended to keep visitors at a minimum in these first few weeks. Bonding as a family and keeping this personal space is crucial and eases their transition in the new environment. Close family and friends use a topponcino (security pillow) to carry the newborn so the child is handled securely.

Adjust the environment- Adjusting the home environment to bea little warmer, lights little dimmer and less noise will provide the child a smooth transition from their life in the womb.

The family is certainly a prime determinant for the positive development of the child. The parents should therefore understand that they hold the key to the development of a happy, integrated, strong human being.
Dr. Montanaro

The first few weeks are crucial and challenging period not just for the baby but also for the new mother/primary caregiver, who has a great responsibility of settling the baby while still recovering from birth. This article is only a guideline because every child and family works differently and have diverse circumstances. Along with a primary caregiver’s intuition and Montessori principles of following the child, respecting the child, observing and responding appropriately and freedom of movement a newborn settles in their new environment with ease.

Life with a newborn and establishing the day-night circadian rhythm

March 1, 2019 by jayabalar

During pregnancy, I read/ listened to every book I could find about- Montessori, RIE, Forest school, Attachment parenting, Unconditional parenting, Conscious Parenting and off course all the years as a teacher I was suppose to ace this from Day.1! But during the first 3 weeks, I often found myself googling “when does it get easier with a newborn.” The general consensus was 3 months! Well, I must say it gets easier as soon as the sleep is KIND OF sorted!

SLEEP…Luckily it only took us 3 weeks for Anika to work out the day and night circadian rhythm. Here are some things that worked for us:

Form bedtime routines- we had a massage, bath, reading, feeding as our night time routine.
Set the environment- Anika slept in the sunlit rooms (or in my sling) with noise during the day and night was silent and dark except the himalayan salt lamp that she loved looking at.
Understanding the signs for hunger- Anika would root (open mouth move head from left to right) every 2 hours in sleep when hungry. If not feed within 2 minutes of this she would start crying and be wide awake for an hour after. Since we co-slept, any movement she did would automatically wake me up. I would immediately feed her and thus she never really woke up.
Nappy changing- was done on my lap (not ideal, I know but anything for sleep!) or the startle reflex would wake her up from her half sleep to fully awake. I used changing cloths on my lap as cover, dressed her in night gowns to make it easy for me and kept lots of sanitizer and the nappy bin handy.
If awake- I would only use whispering voices and try and put her to bed immediately. No mobiles and no playtime was encouraged.

After week.3 she still woke up every 2 hours to feed but mostly went back to sleep right away. The only drawback to above was she would not burp in her sleep so was more prone to being gassy early in the morning. But a tummy massage fixed that for us. We all do it differently. While I dont feel like a mama zombie anymore, we still have a long way to go for our day sleep rhythm. This is what worked for us and hope it helps you. Would love to hear how you did this…

When to start Tummy Time

February 17, 2019 by jayabalar

I got a few messages on Instagram asking me about when I started tummy time with Anika…

When– The answer is Day 4.

How– Since I was unsure how she will react in the start, I put her on my tummy and she tried to wriggle and lift her head. I thought she was ready to go on mat at Day.10 and she fussed on and off, but I stayed close and made it short. All children are very different, Anika’s strength/ gross motor has been her strongest area since in my womb! Her kicks at week.27 gave me bruises around my navel. So follow the child to see when they are ready to go on the mat and make it short.

How often– Every time she woke up from a nap (that was longer than 1.50 hours).

Day 12- first time she could almost lift her head

What is needed– Cotton mat or lambskin rug on the floor is ideal. Make sure to have a firm surface area so baby is not sinking in. In the start, I stayed and spoke to her as an incentive to look up. Down the weeks and months, we will use books, black and white flash cards, sensory bottles, rattles etc as incentives during tummy time. We did no nappies during tummy time till week.5 (cause my mum was around to do the washing till then haha!)

Why- Tummy time is baby gym to put it in short. It’s hard work and not a favorite for most babies but essential for them to gain strength for neck control, rolling over, crawling, sitting and many other milestones in the near future.

Products that we have used

Mat/ Rug

Black and white flash cards

Black and white cards

Settling a Newborn- the Montessori Way

February 12, 2019 by jayabalar

Holding- The body language from the primary caregiver as she holds it provides the newborn information about their caregiver’s attitude and feelings towards the baby. When a newborn is held with loving kindness it provides them a reassurance that they are accepted and loved.

“Much research has shown that the extent and quality of care the mother provides the child are strongly conditioned by the amount of time they spent together during the first days after birth.”- Dr. Montanaro.

Handling- A caregiver’s positive involvement while changing, dressing and bathing the newborn becomes another vital tool for the baby’s smooth transition into their new environment. By involving a newborn in his/her care routine by slowing down and letting them know what is going to happen to them next helps the baby feel secure and respected.

Feeding- Breast milk is recommended as the most optimum food for an infant. Apart from it being the most appropriate biological food, it also gives the infant and mother a sense of unity which helps in building secure attachment. If, you need to bottle fed, it is recommended that the primary caregiver feeds the infant during this period.

Here are some Montessori guidelines that ease the transition during the Symbiotic Period:

Birth to 3 weeks- the child absorbs the environment, while placed on a movement mat .

4^th week- introduced Munari mobile (black and white)

Concentrating on the Munari Mobile at 4 weeks

“It is our capacity to become altered by sustained attention to our surroundings that is the most spiritual quality of human beings.”-Montessori from the Start

Respect the child- Respect is a crucial part of the Montessori philosophy. Some ways to respect a newborn are:

-Follow the child: It is developmentally not possible to spoil a baby! So when a baby wants to cluster feed or be held for long periods, follow the child because that’s what they need to feel secure in this new world.

Adjust the environment- Adjusting the home environment to be a little warmer, lights little dimmer and less noise will provide the child a smooth transition from their life in the womb.

“The family is certainly a prime determinant for the positive development of the child. The parents should therefore understand that they hold the key to the development of a happy, integrated, strong human being.” –Dr. Montanaro

Preparing a Montessori Newborn Space

January 25, 2019 by jayabalar

Prepared Environment is a crucial part of the Montessori philosophy and setting up your newborn’s nursery room is exciting yet can be confusing. Today research has proven what Montessori said over 100 years ago that the first three years are the most crucial in a child’s brain and personality development and so their prepared environment plays a crucial role in their growth through information received in the early years.

“Babies absorb everything that surrounds them in their environment. They are acutely aware of colors, patterns, sounds, textures and aromas.” – How to Raise an Amazing child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin.

As I spent time planning and setting up my soon to arrive babies Montessori nursery and playroom, I have tried to inculcate features of Montessori classroom such as, child-size furnishings, use of natural material, tranquillity, non-clutter, filled with natural light, plants and art. Montessori designed a bedroom for the young child that has four specific well-defined areas for setting up a new-borns room:

Area for rest Montessori perspective– Montessori recommends to use a “floor bed” from birth. Compared to a crib; the floor bed provides freedom to observe the surroundings for newborn, freedom of movement, serves as long-term sleeping area and hence no transition required from crib to bed, long-term investment, safer option as children climb over the sides of crib resulting in accidents and gives freedom for crawlers to independently crawl in and out of bed and hence promoting independence. Many parents question that newborns are likely to fall from the bed, but as Dr.Montanaro confirms “He will never reach the edge of the bed with his whole body because as soon as he finds that small part of his body is not being supported, he retreats to the center of the bed.” In first few months, one could add cushions/ bolsters on the open side of the bed for added safety. How we did it– We got a double size mattress in the corner of the room and covered it with a fitted sheet (no flat sheet). We placed a nest (could also use a moses basket) where baby will spend her first few weeks. It is best to use mattresses with natural material, such as futon or latex. The mattress could easily be placed on the floor, we choose a very low slat bed base so it’s regularly aired. Please note, a single size mattress could also be used but I plan to co-sleep hence the double size.

Area for feeding Montessori perspective- A specific area for feeding gives the child the sense of order and the mother a sense of comfort in the first few months. Some Montessori recommends for feeding are- breastmilk as it’s the most optimum and complete food for an infant, presence and eye contact with baby while feeding for a sense of emotional fulfillment and bonding, giving the freedom to the child to latch and detach by themselves and observations to understand the cues/cries for when they are hungry compared to uncomfortable, sleeping or gassy. How we did it- We got a comfortable rocking chair for nursing, which has been conveniently placed between the bed and the changing table. The walls of the room are bare except for a black and white picture which the newborn can see while she is being patted and burped after feeding. There is a small wooden table placed across, which has water carafe/jug, lamp and room thermometer. We also placed a small bookshelf from IKEA with some Montessori baby books for some reading time before sleep.

Area for activity Montessori perspective-A mirror is a common feature of a Montessori activity area, as it helps babies to see how they move and also gives them an overall view of their surroundings. Plexiglas/ acrylic mirror bolted to the wall low enough so that the baby can see themselves is recommended. A ceiling hook can be placed above so that mobiles can be hung and changed as per their interest. A sturdy low-shelf is recommended to hold their toys, which change as baby grows. Some examples of Montessori infant material are-rattles, cloth ball, black and white flash cards and Skwish toy.

If there is limited space available in the room, the mirror could be placed on the wall next to baby’s bed and the ceiling hook over the bed for the mobiles. Once the environment for activity is provided, it is essential that an infant is not disturbed/ interrupted for periods while “concentrating”. This concentration is a crucial building block for future self-formation.

How we did it– We got a free standing mirror from Grocare/LSG. I personally preferred this as it can be moved to various room (if needed) and also this particular one could be placed vertical once baby grows up to toddler years and further. But a 3 mm acrylic mirror cut to the approximate size of 69*127 cms with its edges sanded and attached to the wall with heavy-duty command velcro would work equally well. There is a ceiling hook on the roof next to the mirror for the mobiles and an infant wooden shelf for displaying toys/ activities.

Area for getting changed Montessori perspective- Infant nappy change area can be set up either on the floor or on set of drawers/ change table. The change area is free of distractions, mobiles and pictures and is considered a time for one on one interaction and involvement with the child. Change area on a table is better when primary caregiver has back/ knee issues. How we did it- We kept a changing mat on the floor along with a basket for laundry and another basket for all the changing needs, like nappies, cloth wipes, bowl for water, balm, elimination communication potty and a round container with thermometer, hairbrush, nail clippers etc. We have placed a simple plastic basket with a lid just outside her room for her dirty nappies. Changing table on floor means no need to buy a specific table for changing/ set of drawers and most importantly it protects baby from falling off once she can wriggle around. Few months down the line, a crawling baby can independently crawl to the change table when it’s time.

Other features of Montessori infant room are:

Everything in child’s room is low to the ground.
Each item will adjust to her changing needs as she grows.
The wooden shelf is sturdy enough so she can pull herself up while learning to walk.
The safety aspect of the room will continuously evolve as she becomes more mobile, e.g.- taping the electric wire to the wall, cushions around the bed, moving the change table to the bathroom and changing supplies to a locked bathroom drawer in few months, edges of table covered with tape etc.
‘Freedom of movement’ is considered crucial for children’s development and this is done by making the layout as spacious as possible. Montessori recommends not using any containers (such as walkers, bouncers, swings), no pacifiers, no swaddles, appropriate clothing (light, comfortable, warm and natural fibres) and leaving them on the ground for as long as possible.

Montessori room for baby looks plain and simple, especially when compared to the brightly coloured and decorated nurseries we normally see. But this plainer nursery has an atmosphere of calm and order that is soothing to the child.