Filling your baby's sensory tank
One way of thinking about your baby's sensory motor needs is to imagine he has a little sensory tank inside him. We hope to fill this tank up daily with rich and diverse sensory motor experience. This is the nourishing fuel which runs her active little body and nervous system, and which helps keep her dialled down.
Actually, if we can fill up his sensory tank each day with some very big doses of rich experience, then there's a chance your little one might run on stored fuel alone for a short time later that day. As he uses up that sensory fuel and his little tank empties, he might begin to dial up again, to let us know he's needing more.
A primary carer could think of the day this way. You pour as much fuel as possible into your baby's sensory tank when your own energy levels are higher (by getting out of the house for planned social activities or a visit to the park or tasks at the shops or whatever it is). Then there's reason to hope he'll be more tolerant of a low sensory environment (like being at home, or put down out of your arms) for a while after that, running on the fuel you've stored in his sensory tank. Your baby is more likely to tolerate being put down on a surface (which is a low sensory experience), in a low sensory environment (such as inside your house or apartment), if his sensory tank has already been filled up to overflowing that day.
Of course, there are no guarantees this will work. Some babies have much higher sensory needs than others.
You might see the principle of the sensory tank at work when you're out walking with your baby. Parents of younger babies often head out with both the baby carrier and the pram. (Older babies are typically more tolerant of strollers because they are better able to watch the world pass by. Toddlers, though, quite often don't like being restrained in strollers for long because they want to use their little bodies to toddle around!) You might experiment to see how long your baby lasts in the pram before dialling up, then give your little one a good dose of sensory motor nourishment by bringing her into the carrier. In time you try the lower sensory environment of the pram again.
Some parents don't mind babywearing for long periods, finding it easiest, but others like to use the pram when they can. (Offers of milk will also help keep your baby dialled down in this situation.)
I wouldn't want this concept of the sensory tank to make you feel you are struggling against your baby's sensory needs, always trying to put him down inside the house and then feeling frustrated because he fusses and cries. Sometimes simply surrendering to your baby's high sensory needs at this time of life, and expecting that you'll need to plan long and busy days outside the house for a number of months, is the best way to go. Only you know what works for you.
Many of us live in a world where the primary carer, often a woman, finds herself caring for a baby with minimal support from others. A tension can seem to emerge between her own needs and the baby's needs for sensory motor stimulation. The problem is that a baby whose sensory needs aren't being met is much harder to care for, because of the dialling up.
If this is how you're feeling, it could be that it's time to shift the focus back onto you, and how best to meet your own vital needs for rest, restoration, and support. You might find the Caring for you pages of The Possums Sleep Program helpful, for example, starting here.
Is it time to think more seriously about filling your own tank?
Recommended resources
What is sensory motor nourishment and why does it help with baby sleep?
Why baby wearing makes life easier (not harder)
What your baby needs for best possible motor development
The holistic NDC or Possums 8-step approach to supporting baby's motor development
The NDC evolutionary perspective on positional plagiocephaly, motor development and sleep
About positional plagiocephaly and motor development
Selected references
Heffler KF, Acharya B, Subedi K, Bennett DS. Early-life digital media experiences and development of atypical sensory processing. JAMA Pediatrics. 2024:doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.5923.
Nava E, Giraud M, Bolognini N. The emergence of the multisensory brain: from the womb to the first steps. iScience. 2024;108758:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
