The Nurture Revolution Professional Certification

with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum and Dr Rocio Zunini

My Learning Journal- Week 1

What did I learn this week?

When our babies are born, their brains are only about 25% developed. All the parts are there, but they are under-developed apart from the brain stem area that ensures our babies survival.

After birth, their brain goes through a period of mind-blowingly rapid growth and development from 0-12 months (50% developed) and then continues at an incredible pace until 3 years (80%), until the brain is 90% developed at 5 years. The final 10% then gradually keeps developing right through to the age of approximately 25 years (100%).

Figure 1 in The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum

Most of the development in the 0-3 years is concentrated in the brain stem (survival) and limbic system (emotional). In this period, babies have not yet developed the connections needed to access their cortex (thinking brain). They cannot rationalise, control impulses or down-regulate their emotions. If their fight-flight-freeze-fawn response is activated, they cannot turn those off on their own. FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS! And even then, it is a long process of learning and developing that eventually sees the person’s brain capable of being consistently rational, control their impulses and down-regulate their emotions in healthy ways when activated (I think we can all probably name some adults who still can’t…).

Figure 2 in The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum

This is where nurture steps in.

Part of a baby’s survival instinct is to seek relationship.

Their life depends on being in relationship with someone who can meet their needs.

Their under-developed brain NEEDS access to the cortex (thinking) brain of an adult to help them down-regulate through co-regulation whenever their stress system is activated, they cannot do that on their own. In short, they need your calm and comfort to be able to calm and be comfortable.

The repeated experience of being co-regulated throughout this crucial developmental period teaches a baby’s brain how healthy ways to regulate feel and activates those parts of the still developing and off-line part of their thinking brain. It baths the brain in a soothing bath, and this signals to the brain that this is what it feels like to be safe, felt, known and accepted.

Figure 3 in The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum

Nurture for babies looks like an imperfect but:

• sensitive parent who is quick to act, accepts their baby’s needs, cooperates with those needs, is emotionally accessible and takes joy and pleasure from being in their baby’s company.
• attuned caregiver who is in emotional synchronicity and makes the baby feel felt, known and accepted.
• active co-regulation to provide external support to soothe and comfort the infant’s experience of emotions

Times where this is NOT possible are to be expected.

“Babies don’t need perfection, they need connection” LR Knost.

Repair is a part of healthy relationships.

Epigenetics and nurture

Nurturing creates epigenetic markers that will make nurturing easier for the next generation of parents. Babies who are highly nurtured are wired to go on and nurture their own offspring generously.

Those who may have not received high-nurture can learn how to do so and therefore break the cycle of low-nurture and change their family legacy moving forward.

Nurture is healing and active.