We have all heard that a mother knows her babies cry. When they are first brought home we don’t have a clue what is going on with them, but in just a few short weeks most moms can pretty well figure out whether it is a hungry cry or sleepy cry,etc.
Reading Rookie Moms, led me to watch an amazing clip on Oprah’s site. Priscilla, who has studied over a thousand babies from different cultures and languauges, says that all babies make 5 sounds and they have specific meanings. Here they are:
- Neh=”I’m hungry”
- Owh=”I’m sleepy”
- Heh=”I’m experiencing discomfort”
- Eair=”I have lower gas”
- Eh=”I need to burp”
Those “words” are actually sound reflexes, Priscilla says. “Babies all around the world have the same reflexes, and they therefore make the same sounds,” she says. If parents don’t respond to those reflexes, Priscilla says the baby will eventually stop using them. (From the Oprah.com)
I found this absolutely fascinating. As I watched the video clip, I could not believe it! Priscilla says these are not just cries, they are actual sounds that have meaning. Baby talk. Hmmm!? Now if I could just get someone to interpret my 21 month old! Check out the video clip and listen to these sounds here!
Yes, I too was amazed when I say her on Oprah. I could not believe that. I wished that I seen that years before when I had my first two children. It is amazing how tiny the babies are communcating with you, to let us (mothers) know what they need.
Ha ha ha. I thought you were including a video of your 21-month old for me to decode. I wanted to have a try. 🙂
I loved watching watching this epi’ of Oprah. I wish I would have seen this almost 7yrs ago, it would have really helped me when I was walking the halls at 2am with a fussy boy 🙁