How can I bond with my new baby?
- Some men find bonding with their baby difficult, but you don’t have to wait until they are born to start! Babies can hear in the womb from about the 18th week of pregnancy. Try talking, singing and reading to your baby, before and after they are born. If it feels a bit awkward try playing your baby your favourite songs, tell them about your hobbies, your work or your ambitions for their future.
- Skin to skin also increases yours and your baby’s levels of the hormone, oxytocin, which promotes bonding and attachment.
- Carrying your baby, in your arms, or a sling/carrier can also help you to learn their cues and become more reactive to their signals, helping you to get to know them better.
How do I do skin-to-skin?
- Get comfy, with your arms and back supported as you could be sitting or lying a while.
- Get baby on your bare chest in just their nappy and cover them with a blanket to keep them warm.
- Hold your baby close supporting them with both hands.
- Take note of how your baby responds to you, and how they react to things around them.
How can I help my baby’s brain development?
- Your baby’s brain wiring (neural pathways) is around 20% connected when they are born. How well that wiring develops can affect the way they communicate, handle problems, and how they learn. It can also impact their relationships and physical and emotional health when they become adults.
- As a parent, you help your baby to build their brains into a strong and stable blueprint for the future.
- Consistent, positive and loving relationships help your baby’s brain to grow and lower the effects of stress.
- Babies are primed to look for two-way interaction with their care givers, including touch, facial expressions, and conversation. When you respond to their cues, you are literally helping them to build positive brain connections.
- By responding to your baby, especially when they are upset or sick, and providing them with a safe, supportive and loving relationship is also important.
