A few weeks after Ben was born, we hired a photographer to take photos of our newly-expanded family. Midway through the photo shoot, Ben got hungry and started to fuss. I grabbed a bottle to feed him, and the photographer followed along to take a few shots of us together.
When it came time to burp Ben, I put him into the position I’d been shown at the hospital: His chest on my shoulder, with me gently patting his back. But I couldn’t get a burp out.
“Would you like me to show you how I do it with my kids?” the photographer asked. It turned out she had four young kids, so she’d had plenty of practice.
I immediately handed over Ben, and watched as she propped him up on her knee, tilted him gently forward, and placed her hand on his chest.
Before she could even pat his back, Ben let out a massive belch. Naturally, that position became my go-to any time I needed to burp my son.
It was a reminder that day: Good advice and ideas can come from anywhere. You just have to be willing to make space and listen.
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That photo of lightbulbs comes via Unsplash and photographer Daniele Franchi.