Bringing Home Baby (cont.)
Sing and talk to your baby. Your newborn begins to hear your voice while still growing inside you. By the time they are born, the familiarity of that sound has a remarkable calming effect. Talk to them, sing your favorite lullaby, and read books to them, especially stories that rhyme.
Make eye contact. While babies do not have 20/20 vision at birth, they can see you. By making eye contact with your baby when you talk to or massage them, you are communicating with them, and if you watch their cues, you’ll learn how they communicate with you.
Touch your baby. It’s a natural act, and so powerful. Stroke their arms, legs, head, and back. The sensations relaxs both of you and enhances your bonding. If possible, learn about infant massage techniques and incorporate them into your daily routine. Research suggests that simple massage strokes relieve colic and constipation, as well as help infants establish regular sleep patterns and form stronger bonds with their parents or caregivers.
Hold your baby close, often. Research shows that keeping your baby close is good for them. Wearing your baby in a baby sling or carrier keeps them right where they need to be to thrive. Cuddled next to you, baby feels your warmth and the comforting beat of your heart. The familiar rhythm helps them relax and feel secure.
Using a baby sling also frees your arms and hands so that you can do a few things around the house, while still enjoying the benefit of snuggling with your baby. And that might help you feel calmer, too.
Respond to your baby. It’s that simple. Though crying can be nerve-wracking, it’s the only way your baby has to let you know they need something. They cry when they are hungry; they cry when they're wet; they cry when they hurt or don’t feel well; and the cry when they just don’t know what else to do.
While this barrage of bawling might make you feel like crying, too, the best thing to do is simply to respond to your baby's need. Pick them up, cuddle them, and try to figure out just what it is they need. Soon you’ll recognize their cry for hunger over their cry of pain and be able to soothe them by quickly filling the need.
Worried that you’ll spoil them? Don’t be. Meeting your baby’s needs is not spoiling them. By regularly responding to your newborn, you’re forming a healthy bond that makes them feel secure.
It’s not uncommon for moms to feel out of sync with their babies in the first few weeks. But communicating your love to them through all of their senses goes a long way toward calming those delicate newborn nerves.
