Below is a summary for the first two months, as posted on my Instagram @bridgesavp

What do I do when my baby is 1 month old?

Survive.
Really. That’s it.
Rest, heal, bond. Those are the priorities for a parent (the parent who birthed and the parent who didn’t) at this point. Each moment becomes a learning moment where the parent is learning their baby and their baby is learning them. Take it one step at a time. It is a life long process.
If your baby has been referred for further evaluation of their hearing or has been diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing- this first month can be completely overwhelming. Take in what you can, and put nearby what you can’t. When you are ready, there is a community ready to love on you and hold your hand through this journey. Grief is normal, and is a process. So hold your baby, smell their head, kiss their cheeks, and know that all you have to do right now is stay afloat.

A common thread I have found in collecting stories from families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing is that when they received their child's diagnosis, they were given a packet of information and resources and left to navigate them more or less on their own. The first month (or 6, or 36) with a baby is already difficult and complex and a diagnosis adds another layer to navigate through. I want to share some resources that have been helpful in digging into the basics of deafness as well as the resources a family might benefit from accessing. If you recommend these resources to families you work with, remember that they might be feeling overwhelmed or lost (or any number of emotions) and not prepared to jump in here just yet. Be patient and open minded so that you can support their journey.
1) Dr. Lilach Sapterstein, an audiologist, has a straightforward and thoughtful guide to help families create action steps for themselves while organizing the information they have gathered. You can download this from her website www.allaboutaudiology.com
2) Local Hands & Voices chapter can provide a parent guide who also has a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. I find that hearing from a parent who has "lived through it" can offer some much needed comfort and confidence
3) Local ECI agency: In my state these services are under the state's Health and Human Services department. It can be a tricky network to navigate based on different providers by county, city, or even zip code. Some services are free as part of public education and some are on a sliding scale. It is helpful to contact them early and often to make sure you are getting accurate information. Circling back around to a H&V member can help clarify questions by others who have used or currently use local agencies.
4) AG Bell Parent Hotline: while specific to families who are pursuing listening and spoken language, this resource connects to a parent of a child who is deaf so that families, again, can speak to someone who has traveled this journey first hand.

If this hearing loss journey is new to you, you may be wondering- who is on my team? Here is a brief list of who might be part of your team and what role they would have:

Screener: completes ABR or OAE hearing screening in hospital or birthing center and gives pass or refer certificate. May have printed materials for information regarding process and local resources
Audiologist (AuD): completes hearing screenings and/or diagnostic evaluations. Makes recommendations about hearing technology, fits and programs this technology, monitors changes in sound and speech access over time. I recommend working specifically with a Pediatric Audiologist who has training in working with children
ENT/Otolaryngologist: medical doctor specialized in ears/nose/throat. Would be the surgeon to perform PE tube or cochlear implant surgery.
SLP: speech language pathologist who evaluates, diagnosis, and treats speech, language, and communication needs. May coach and counsel the parent
Teacher: specially trained to individualize instruction for children who are deaf/hard of hearing. Also may coach and counsel the parent
Social worker: assists and counsels families on their choices and the emotions that come with this journey. May or may not be knowledgeable about hearing loss
Neurologist: a medical doctor who specializes in the brain. Might consult on eligibility for a cochlear implant
Pediatrician: primary care doctor who can make referrals to the above specialists. Can support families but (in my experience) is not always knowledgeable in the full impact of hearing loss

When you have a one month old, you are becoming the expert in your baby. You are learning their sleep and hunger cues, the ways they like to be held, and how to know when it’s time to change their diaper. No one else is going to be an expert in this child like you are. You are poised to be your child’s best advocate as the one who knows them best. The professionals mentioned in the previous post may be experts in other areas, but you are the expert on your baby. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

What can you do with a 2 month old?

You might feel like your head is slightly above water, and you’re getting into a very loose routine of eating, wake time, and sleeping. We know eating and sleeping but during the wake time, what do we do?
Here is a simple way to start giving your baby rich language exposure- song! Sing to your baby while cradling them, while they’re laying on their backs, while bathing. You can sing anything you want, babies don’t even care if you know all the words! This is an especially great time to begin exposure to other languages you may use in your family. Sing throughout the day, make up songs for routines, be silly. They love a little tickle to go along with it! When we sing to our babies and then chat with them “you liked that song didn’t you? Let’s sing it again! One more time? Here we gooooo!” we are using the strategy of Motherese, also known as parentese or child directed speech. Speaking in this ‘baby talk’ tone with elongated vowel sounds, and higher pitch, and usually more exaggerated facial expressions is very attractive to a baby’s growing brain. Check out my blog posts song singing and Motherese to get the science behind why we use these strategies to build language.

Keep singing! Any song will do. Make one up about washing the dishes or the things you sing while on a walk. The changes in pitch and duration that are natural to singing can be harnessed and used purposefully. This is called Acoustic Highlighting. Putting the spotlight on a certain sound, word, or phrase by changing the pitch, duration, or volume brings the listeners attention to that target. Singing to your baby, using pauses before key words, and changing these suprasegmentals are ways to set the stage for using Acoustic Highlighting throughout language development.

Tickle tickle. What if you start tickling at your babies toes and tickle up to their chest then pause...wait...and then tickle all over their neck? I hope you get the biggest smile and maybe even a little giggle. The purposeful pause is called Wait Time. This strategy is going to be one of the most used and most diverse in your tool belt so it is good to start using it early to hone your craft.

We have covered singing and tickling as some of the daily interactions with babies who are about 2 months old. During both of these activities you can begin to utilize the strategy of an Expectant Look. Using this facial expression in tandem with Wait Time will send a message to the child that a response is expected, it is their turn to do or say something. A plus of working on this skill while the baby is still young, they LOVE looking at faces. Their brains are gobbling up all the details of your face and all the expressions it can make. Try using a mirror during tummy time or after a bath to practice the Expectant Look. Baby might even start following suit and making an Expectant Look of their own!

Be on the look out for routines and strategies for months 3 and 4, coming soon!