This week, Brenda goes in search of one of the 60,000 babies born in Ireland this year. She explores the highs and lows of parenting, and the mystery of baby talk.
On her search, she meets 8-day old Oisín.
She goes with psychologist Dr Elizabeth Nixon to meet his parents Corinna and Colm and his brothers and sisters Aoife, Orla, Séamus, Killian and Lorcan. They observe newborn Oisín to see how he is communicating with the world.
Later in the programme, Brenda and Dr Elizabeth Nixon return to meet Oisín and his Mum Corinna when Oisín is three months old. He is smiling and communicating with the people around him and is forming close relationships with his brothers and sisters. Corinna's sister is an Irish Beauty & Lifestyle blogger, click here to explore her blog, Cherry Sue.
Speaking about the experience Brenda said, "Meeting baby Oisín and following his progress over the first three months of his life reminded me of the time when my own children were babies."
Professor Kevin Nugent, author of Your Baby is Speaking to You, is from Mullingar but left for Boston as a young man. It was renowned pediatrician Berry Brazelton that inspired him to work with newborns. He describes how the newborn experiences the world in those early days of life and how the newborn communicates with those around him.
The days when a baby is a newborn are few and fleeting. Aileen Fortune and her husband Michael reminisce on the time that their daughters Nelly, Eppie and Nan were newborns. They share the songs that Aileen sang to rock her babies to sleep.
Exclusive to this week's episode, Brenda interviews her own mother, Mary; her Auntie Nan and Mary's best friend Rita about their experiences of having their own babies.
Speaking about the experience Brenda said, "In this programme I interview my own mother about her memories of me as a newborn. I was surprised [by] how she talked about the loneliness of giving birth and having a newborn. That's an emotion many modern mums might recognise."
Professor Kevin Nugent further explores the experiences of parenting. He explains that research shows parents are often out of step with their newborns but that there are special moments "of meeting" along the way that cement the relationship between babies and parents.
This week Brenda also meets newborn Ruair who spent the first months of his life in the premature baby unit in the Coombe Hospital. He is now home with his mum Aileen, Dad Colm and his older brother Aidan.
You can listen to Like Family on RTÉ Radio 1 at 10pm on Wednesday night.
