You’ve just endured seemingly endless hours of labor and pain that only a momma who has given birth can know and understand, and now you have this new bundle of joy. Now how do you bond with your baby? It doesn’t matter whether you birthed your baby or received that blessing through adoption, it is amazing how many moms hold their newborn baby in their arms and then look up with that puzzled expression on their face and ask the question, now what?
The good news is that moms often intuitionally know what to do. Most of it is natural, and it comes out of a deep commitment to care and love for that fragile new creation. It may seem completely new, but as the first days’ pass, you will settle into a routine.
Bonding with Your Baby in the First Six Weeks
These are the basics. Of course, you moms need to find a way to sleep yourself. These early days of a baby’s new life are filled with this repetitive routine. However, that’s not everything. This is a tremendous opportunity to enhance the time you spend by bonding with your baby.
Nina Leicht-Crist is a member of the American Pregnancy Association’s Health and Wellness blogging team and she provides some great tips on bonding with your baby during the first 40 days.
One of the tips she shares is to mimic the movements and behaviors of your baby. Try to imagine what your baby is thinking or feeling. You can always think creatively and imagine that if you were a baby, what would you think of this large creature making funny faces and movements at you?
Mimicking your baby is one way to engage your newborn little boy or girl. Keep a smile on your face and have fun – your little one is watching you!
To learn more about bonding with your baby, please visit Nina’s blog, Millions of Peaches. You can also explore many other fertility and family-related tips on her blog like Bond With Your Baby in 40 Days or Less.
Caring for your baby is one of the best ways you can bond with your baby. Breastfeeding is known to be the healthiest option for feeding your baby and it is also one of the most intimate ways to bond.
You can visit the American Pregnancy Association’s website here to learn more about the Benefits of Breastfeeding.
You might also have questions about typical infant development.
These are the common questions for new moms:
- Is it normal that his hands stay clenched?
- I noticed that she is grasping less, is this supposed to happen?
- Do babies see colors as we do?
This is just a small sample of common questions about what is happening with your baby. You can learn about infant development and the changes that are supposed to happen month by month. Review Typical First Year Development here.
Nina is a certified lactation counselor, freelance writer, and author who likes to travel, read, cook, and spend time with her family. She’s known to write about infertility, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, motherhood, healthcare, nutrition and more.
