In this episode I have a powerful and inspiring conversation with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum. Greer is an Author, Neuroscientist, Doula, Infant and Family Sleep Specialist and Mother. She trained at the University of Toronto, Columbia University, New York University and Yale University. Greer has combined her academic training with her experience as a doula and mother to lead The Nurture Revolution. A movement to nurture our babies’ brains to revolutionize mental health and impact larger systems in our world. Greer wants families, professionals, and workplaces to understand how early caregiving experience can boost mental wellness and diminish depression, anxiety, and addiction in adulthood by shaping babies’ brains through simple intuitive enriching experiences in pregnancy, birth and infancy. Her book is called The Nurture Revolution: Grow Your Baby’s Brain and Transform Their Mental Health Through the Art of Nurtured Parenting. She offers resources, workshops, and coaching. Her work aligns closely with many aspects of Aware Parenting.

Greer brings her neuroscience lens to share information about some of the physiological brain changes that mothers experience in early parenting and how they are perfectly designed to support and enable deep connection, bonding, protection and safety with our babies. She describes how supporting the emotional development of babies is the foundation of physical health and mental health for life. Greer shares why she changed her career from research science to science communication in order to share with parents that early maternal care has profound impacts on wellbeing and to counter the beliefs in our low-nurture culture that are harmful to babies, children and parents. She shares how we can support our children’s needs for connection, for emotional responsiveness and with sleep. We discuss how important it is for parents to be getting support.

To learn more about Greer, please follow her on Instagram at nurture_neuroscience_parenting and visit her website www.nurture-neuroscience.com