9. Supporting Your Baby's Brain Development Through Love

I'm back after a bit of a gap - more on that in the Podcast. This episode is all about Baby's brain development, and as a total neuroscience geek this is utterly fascinating to me. But don't worry, there's nothing too sciencey in terms of jargon! Just some super interesting stuff about how your babys brain develops so much AFTER they are born (unlike many other mammals). I talk about how the 'nature / nurture' debate is outdated, and how the physical and importantly the social environment you create for you baby is really important for setting their brain for the rest of their life. Over all this is about love, and how simple intuitive things we do with babys (like cuddling, holding, talking and engaging with them is all part of evolutions master plan - you can't do any of it too much). Here's the books I mention too at the end of the episode as promised: "Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain" by Sue Gerhardt "A General Theory of Love" by Thomas Lewis et al "How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain" by Lisa Feldman Barrett  I hope you enjoy the episode, and of course please let me know any questions of feedback. And if you would like to leave a review that would be amazing, as it helps other folk get to hear it too (reviews boost all about that algorithm schizz) Susan x