In this post, I’ll share a basic overview of a baby’s nervous system as understood through polyvagal theory. Polyvagal theory helps us to make sense of the different nervous states that a baby can be in, and this in turn, helps to shape how we respond to babies.
What is the nervous system?
The nervous system takes care of the body’s basic maintenance, including breath, heart rate and digestion. It does all of this without us need to pay attention to it. It works automatically, all of the time. Most babies come into the world with a nervous system that is already taking care of itself. They are breathing without having to put effort in and their hearts keep beating.
Polyvagal theory
In the 1970s and 80s, Dr Stephen Porges developed a new way of thinking about the nervous system. The approach he developed came about through his observations of premature babies on the neonatal ward. By carefully observing their faces and bodies, he made sense of what was happening inside their bodies and what needs were being communicated to the adults around them. At its essence, polyvagal theory is about tuning into the nervous system as a way to be more responsive to the needs of ourselves and others.
According to polyvagal theory, there are three pre-set pathways that operate in the nervous system:
Pathway 1 = Ventral vagal
This is the system of connection. When we’re in ventral vagal, we’re feeling engaged and connected. We are relaxed but still alert. We are happy to connect and communicate with others.
Pathway 2 = Sympathetic activation
This is the system of action. Responding to the external world and/or internal cues, the body gets itself ready for action. This is when we feel anxiety or anger, or another kind of stress response. Our body is essentially mobilising to act and respond to the threat it perceives.
Pathway 3 = Dorsal vagal
This is the system of shutdown. When sympathetic activation has been maintained for too long, the stress becomes toxic and our body enters shutdown. We disconnect, give up hope, feel drained of energy and de-personalise ourselves and others. This is an attempt by the body to protect itself without the support and regulation of others.
The three pathways in a baby
What does ventral vagal look like in a baby?
- Their heart rate is regulated
- Their breath is natural and full
- The baby is able to take pleasure in the world around them
- They tune in and focus, showing concentration
What does sympathetic activation look like in a baby?
- They are visibly upset e.g. crying
- They might not allow themselves to be held
- They might shouting or screaming
- They may be throwing things or wriggling around on the floor
What does dorsal shutdown look like in a baby?
- Some babies may hold their breath
- Some babies will ‘give up’ crying even though they are still upset
- They may lie there, staring
- They refuse to make eye contact
- They lose interest in the world around them
Sympathetic activation versus dorsal shutdown
Sympathetic activation is part of life. We don’t lead perfect lives where nothing ever goes wrong, so it makes complete sense for our bodies to ready themselves for action. Let’s say you’re late for work and you see the bus coming down the road, isn’t it fantastic that your body gets itself ready for running by making your heart pump more quickly?
It’s the same for babies – we can expect them to be in sympathetic activation some of the time. They will cry when they get hungry or tired, or when they need a cuddle. We can think about sympathetic activation is a kind of alarm system going off. The problem only comes when the sympathetic activation is not responded to and resolved, and over a long period of time, the stress response becomes toxic and the baby switches into a dorsal shutdown.
In summary, sympathetic activation is a necessary part of a baby’s life but they need support to turn the alarm off. This is where co-regulation comes into the mix.
Co-regulation
Co-regulation is about responding to babies’ needs and dialling down their sympathetic activation, bringing them back into the ventral vagal state where they can carry on learning and playing and connecting. There are broadly two categories of co-regulation: sensory co-regulation and verbal co-regulation.
Sensory co-regulation
Sensory co-regulation is when we use our bodies to help babies to regulate their bodies. This might be using rhythmical movement, such as rocking or dancing, to help a baby to calm down. It might be singing or humming, or breathing more deeply. It can also be loving touch – very often, when we’re sympathetically activated, a hug is the most effective way of helping us to come out of that stress response. Physical containment can also be helpful – this might not be a set of arms actually around you, it can also just be the containment provided by a cosy, small space, or just having someone sit beside you to offer that sense of containment.
Verbal co-regulation
Verbal co-regulation is helping babies to move out of sympathetic activation by helping them to make sense of the emotions they’re experiencing. Of course, they will not necessarily know exactly what you are saying, but they will understand enough from your tone to pick up on the overall process. You can use the three As to move through the process of verbal co-regulation:
- Aware – notice what the baby is feeling, how they are expressing their feelings and why this feeling might be there.
- Accept – don’t try to change what the baby is experiencing; their feelings are their feelings. Avoid using distraction immediately to move a baby on from their feelings – commit to spending some time holding the feelings.
- Articulate – say what you’ve noticed and show acceptance of the feelings through your tone of voice and what you say e.g. ‘I see how upset you are, you’re pulling away from me because you feel so angry right now, I don’t think you wanted daddy to leave – you’re feeling cross about that’.
Practical next steps
The main takeaway from this blogpost is that babies cannot exist in a ventral vagal state all of the time. They will move into sympathetic activation but as their trusted adults, it’s our role to help them to move through the sympathetic activation and come out the other side without shifting into a dorsal shutdown. We help babies to move through sympathetic activation using the tools of co-regulation.
As a baby room educator and as a baby room team, it’s vital that you understand co-regulation and have a variety of ways of doing it. As a starting point for growing this toolkit, think about the two types of co-regulation: sensory and verbal. Which comes more naturally to you? Are there particular techniques that you find yourself falling back on all the time e.g. loving touch? In the week ahead, how about using 1-2 co-regulation tools that come less naturally to you.