Newborn Baby Bonding

Oh yeah! The nine month wait is over! Your new baby is finally here! Now what? It is difficult to imagine that you have brought a new life into this world, isn’t it? You want to give your baby the finest life you can! You have brought a new being into this world, and you will be responsible for shaping their life. That is a tremendous responsibility! All of that begins with connecting with your baby.

Bonding is one of the really important things that parents can do for their baby. Your newborn uses all of its senses to bond with you. Here are some tips to help:

Vision/Sight: Newborns eyesight is not good. It can focus up to about ten inches away. That’s fine for their requirements now. You may be amazed to know that studies shows that your baby would prefer to look at you, instead of some brightly colored objects. You want to make sure that your newborn can see you well. So, get close. A good time to do this is when you feed the newborn. Let them explore your face with their little hands, and make eye contact with them.

Find out how to communicate with your baby!

Tactile or Touch: 1 of the most substantially developed senses in your baby is touch. Making them feel protected and secure is very essential. So, snuggle and stroke your baby! Babies may actually learn better when they are massaged, according to research. Don’t worry if you are doing it right, just do it! Place your baby in a Snugly, and carry them around with you while you do your chores. Listening to your heartbeat may put your newborn right to sleep!

Auditory or Their Hearing: An infant is stimulated by a mother’s voice. Mothers use calming words, and tend to speak to their baby in a naturally higher pitched voice. Say your baby’s name, coo and sing to them. You can make a monkey of yourself, and they love to hear it!

Smell: Research show that your baby clearly identifies with your smell. This familiar scent calms your newborn.

Do not forget that your baby is an individual, and will be unlike any other baby. Don’t overwhelm or over stimulate your child. Your baby may give you signals that they are weary of play or stimuli, such as yawning, frowning, rubbing their eyes, ending eye contact or wriggling away. This may indicate that they are ready for rest time.

Specialists now advise that infants sleep only on their backs. Many parents become anxious, because babies can develop a condition known as “occipital plagiocephaly of positional origin”. This simply means that the baby’s head is flatter on one side than the other from always sleeping in the same position. Giving your baby some “tummy time” can help to circumvent this condition. During play time is an ideal time to do this. When your newborn is on their tummy, they will thrust themselves up using their arms, or lift their heads, which is good for strengthening their muscles. Get down with your infant, and smile, stick your tongue out, chuckle and croon to them. Hold a mirror up to baby, and observe their response! Move brightly colored items in front of their eyes, and see them track movement. This is a great way to bond with your baby.

And do not overlook Dad! Since Mom has borne the newborn for 9 months, there is already a physical, biochemical bond before the child is even born. This can leave fathers feeling left out. Make sure that Dad has been involved in the pre-natal care of the baby (going to doctor appointments, etc.). Have him feed baby whenever possible. Even if you are breastfeeding, Dad can be involved. If the infant is crying, let Dad take a turn, and give Mom a break. Dads can participate in bathing and dressing (and obviously, changing diapers). During this time, Dad can participate in the stroking and cuddling, cooing, and everything else that Moms typically do. The terrific news is that as baby becomes older, they require more stimuli, and Dads are great at providing that. Dad should also be involved in play and ‘tummy’ time.

Showing off the new baby to friends and family is an added benefit. Babies love all of the extra attention that they get from family and friends, and bond with them as well. So enjoy the attention that your newborn creates.

The experience of bonding with your newborn is what matters the most. Just a gentle touch, simple smile, or laughing together, will help parents set their child on the track toward a promising future, and joyful life.