Supporting Caregivers: Beyond Feeding, Toward Connection
In a recent conversation with lactation consultant and breastfeeding specialist Sejal Fichadia, we explored the complexities of caring for both babies and their caregivers. While many families call on Sejal when something feels wrong—difficulty with latching, bottle refusal, or feeding pain—her perspective widens the lens. Feeding, she reminds us, is never just about food. It is a dance of communication, co-regulation, and attachment between parent and child.
What stood out most was Sejal’s insight into the “new mom brain.” Too often spoken of as absent-mindedness, she reframed it as a powerful rewiring—a brain transformed by empathy, protectiveness, and deep focus on the baby. This shift, while profound, is also fragile, and requires gentle support from partners, families, and communities. Without this “mothering of the mother,” expectations on new parents can quickly become overwhelming.
These reflections tie directly into our upcoming course, Coaching Caregivers. This training is designed to equip professionals and supporters with practical strategies to nurture caregivers—because when parents are resourced, babies thrive. Together we’ll explore how attunement, co-regulation, and compassionate communication shape the foundations of healthy attachment.
Sejal’s words are a reminder: supporting caregivers is not simply about fixing problems, but about fostering resilience, dignity, and connection in the most tender moments of family life.