The Art of Doing Less: Reading Your Baby's Cues with Dr. Dairian Roberts

Sometimes parents want to know what to do to help their baby develop. I get it — I've wondered the same thing. And although there are so many ways we can help, sometimes the answer is to do less, observe more, and enjoy more.Dairian is a dear friend of mine, and she'll forever go down in history as my inspiration and bravery booster to start Be Well Baby®.Dr. Dairian Roberts is a licensed occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She's the owner of Humbled by Motherhood (I know I was), where her approach blends OT, lactation support, and manual therapy into holistic, evidence-based care for families. She also founded The Lactation OT Platform where OTs, PTs, and SLPs learn about breastfeeding and chestfeeding, and where I am honored to have my continuing education courses living! In this conversation, we talk about:Learning your baby's cues, from cries to yawns to the "humming" sound that signals it's time to sleepWhy doing less can be more: how overstimulation affects a baby's developing brain, and what a quiet, unstructured morning actually gives themThe difference between an overstimulated baby who cries and one who shuts down and looks like they're sleepingBottle aversion: what's really going on when a baby refuses, and how it differs from a baby who simply doesn't know how yetDairian's work in USC's Lifestyle Redesign doctorate program and how it's shaping the way she thinks about habit change for postpartum familiesWhat it means to be an adult learner as a new parent, and why care plans need to meet families where they areThe reminder that struggling with something new is a sign you're learning, not failingFind Dr. Dairian RobertsWork with Dairian: www.humbledbymotherhood.comLearn more about Dairian's continuing education platform for clinicians www.LactationOT.comMore About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍