FAQ

Babies use sounds and visual cues to express their basic needs. These sounds are not random. They are caused by their body responding to a physical need. If these needs are not met or are misjudged, their cries become louder and they become distressed.

Not at all. It’s like learning a foreign language. The moment you really start listening and familiarizing yourself with the sounds your baby is making, you will start to understand them. Dunstan Baby Language helps you know what to listen for in your baby’s sounds and what to look for in your baby’s visual cues, so you know what your baby needs and how to best respond.

When your baby is happy and content, you will notice that he or she will also sleep better. It is much easier to help a tired baby fall asleep than a child who is actually still awake or overtired. When you recognize the sound for 'tired' and respond to it, you will notice that it becomes easier to help your baby fall asleep. It also becomes easier to create a sleep/wake rhythm that is well-suited to your baby's needs.

Your baby makes the sounds because a certain need occurs that causes a specific reflex. So you will only hear sounds that fit the need that the baby has at that moment and that is not (yet) fulfilled. For example, if your baby has a lot of trouble with burping, that will be a sound that you will hear a lot.

Research has shown that the Baby Language Method is very successful with young babies. This is because the method is based on reflexes that all occur in the first months of a baby's life. After that, a number of the reflexes gradually fade away. For the sucking reflex, this is around three or four months, for the other reflexes we do not know exactly. The yawning reflex is also familiar to adults, so it remains audible into adulthood. It is useful to learn to recognize the sounds in the early baby stage, then babies do not yet make conscious other sounds and you will therefore often hear the reflex sounds. The trained ear can also pick out the Baby Language sounds in slightly older babies. And some babies will continue to use the sounds as conscious communication, when they discover that they are being fed at Neh, for example.

The techniques shown in the online course to soothe your baby are some of the most popular techniques. They are included in the online learning environment to give you some ideas of what you can do now that you know what your baby needs. Always do what you think is best for your baby. If you need more help, please contact an expert.

Dunstan Baby Language is a universal explanation of the reflex sounds babies make. It is innate rather than learned. So just as a laugh, a sneeze or a hiccup is a sound that all people make all over the world, the reflex sounds your baby makes are universal. They are not dependent on a culture, language or background.

Yes, fathers and other co-parents can learn Dunstan Baby Language too. In fact, the Baby Language method gives them valuable knowledge that allows them to be more confident in caring for their newborn. Parents who learn Dunstan Baby Language together report that they have more appreciation for each other's contributions and that there is less stress in the home. Of course, grandparents, siblings and other caregivers can also learn Dunstan Baby Language.

Our research does not yet have official data on the effects of prematurity on the recognition of Baby Language sounds. However, we regularly receive positive feedback from parents of preterm children who indicate that they recognize the sounds in their baby and that they can therefore respond well to the needs of their child.