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Dive deeper into the Art of Nurturescience!  In this advanced training for doulas and other health professionals, understand the key role you can play to determine whether a baby experiences “nurture” or “protest and despair” at birth.  Learn about:

  • how nurture matters for brain wiring of all babies, but how also to apply this for small and sick babies (premature).
  • the powerful connection of mother and baby  — the two truths — Zero-Separation of mother-baby is our biology, and the mother-baby dyad should never be left alone.
  • the Innate Newborn Agenda - The mother’s body precisely controls every element of her infant’s physiology, from heart rate to release of hormones, appetite, temperature, and the intensity of activity. “This creates an invisible hot house in which the infants’ development can unfold.” (Hofer)
  • how brain wiring is place-dependent - the critical moments at birth and after are when baby brain cells are fired and wired by maternal sensory inputs. There are more synapses in the brain of a newborn baby than stars in the universe, so every baby is born with the full potential of the universe.
  • ways to help avoid Infant Brain Dysregulation and enhance social connection through life (to avoid the tendency for later social withdrawal)

What is a Kangaroula® ?

As well as supporting the mother’s needs, a Kangaroula understands and advocates primarily for the baby during labor, birth and the first 1000 minutes of life, the critical time that baby’s experiences are being wired into its brain. Nurture begins with being in the right place: skin-to-skin contact.

The Kangaroula ensures this is done safely, and supports:

  • Optimal stabilization at birth
  • Emotional connection with mother and family
  • Early suckling and breastfeeding
  • Sleep cycles and rhythms
  • Adaptation to the bright, noisy and cold world outside the womb

This innate agenda requires immediate and continuous skin-to-skin contact, hence the general aim of Zero Separation. A Kangaroula speaks for the baby’s needs, minimizes stress for a more peaceful transition, and empowers a mother to read the baby’s signals. 

Conversely, a very stressful birth can mean a baby is epigenetically wired in a way that can lead to early negative effects, even through to adulthood. This can be minimized by Zero Separation of mother and baby, protecting the familiar SAFE PLACE and caring for the dyad as ONE.

Be inspired to do a Kangaroula™ course!

Be empowered to help during this crucial time when skin-to-skin contact can help baby stabilize and breathe well.  Know how to:

    • help babies calm down and protect their baby’s brain development
    • read the sensory environment
    • empower parents to read their baby’s signals and practical things to do

Nurturescience is new Neuroscience. BirthWorks offers 2-day entry-level “Registered Kangaroula” workshop and certificate of attendance (may be available for CEUs). Go on to become a “Certified Kangaroula” (another 2-day training, experience summary, 5 case reports, review of journal articles, and exam).

Want to learn more?