221: Dr. Pamela Douglas - What's the best way to raise a baby?

The Long Distance Love Bombs Podcast

Dr Pamela Douglas is an Australian GP, researcher, author, and an international leader in caring for parents and babies, with a special interest in perinatal mental health and breastfeeding medicine.

Over the past 20 years, Pam has published the evidence base to the programs known as Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC, or 'The Possums Programs'), translating the research into education programs offering a paradigm shift in the way we help families who face breastfeeding, baby sleep, and cry-fuss challenges. Her groundbreaking work is detailed in 30 international research publications and her best-selling book, The Discontented Little Baby Book.
In this conversation, we discuss how to optimize infant development, parental well-being, and grow joy in early life. Pam emphasizes the importance of experimentation and frequent, flexible breastfeeding in the early days and also discusses the Gestalt method of fit and hold.

In terms of sleep, Pam acknowledges the polarizing nature of the sleep training debate and highlights the need for individualized approaches to sleep based on the unique needs of the baby and family. We also discuss the importance of understanding the biological needs of babies when it comes to sleep, emphasizing that sleep distress in our society is often caused by societal and health system-induced beliefs and practices that are not evidence-based. Pam highlights the variability in babies' sleep needs and advocates for a more evolutionary and intuitive approach to parenting that focuses on meeting babies' sensory and motor needs.

Check out her website: https://www.pameladouglas.com.au

Learn more about Neuroprotective Developmental Care: https://www.pameladouglas.com.au/programs

Learn more about the Possums Program: https://possumssleepprogram.com/

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpameladouglas

Chapters

00:00 Context

07:21 Dr. Pamela Douglas' Background and Expertise

13:53 The Challenges of Research in Parenting

18:35 Understanding Neuroprotective Developmental Care

20:53 Experimentation and Finding What Works

24:48 The Gestalt Method of Fit and Hold in Breastfeeding

32:00 Preventing Sleep Distress

46:04 The Polarizing Topic of Sleep Training

50:01 Understanding the Biological Needs of Baby Sleep

54:20 Challenging Traditional Sleep Training Methods

1:01:32 Focusing on Sensory Motor Needs for Better Sleep

1:05:47 Dispelling Misconceptions About Baby Sleep

1:11:31 Following Intuition and Evidence-Based Strategies for Optimal Sleep

1:38:47 The Importance of Responsive Parenting

1:39:17 Navigating Infant Sleep Patterns

1:39:46 Creating a Safe Sleep Environment

Keywords: Parenting industry, Neuroprotective Developmental Care, NDC, Possums Program, breastfeeding, sleeping, crying babies, fit and hold, frequent flexible feeds, letdown, milk ejection reflex, sleep training, baby sleep, sleep distress, evidence-based, biological needs, disruptors of sleep, burping, holding upright, nappy changes, wrapping, swaddling, evolutionary parenting, sensory and motor needs

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