Bonding, perhaps one of the most enjoyable moments of infant care, takes place during the delicate time in the first hours and days right after the birth when parents make a profound connection with their baby. Physical closeness can encourage an emotional connection.
For babies, the attachment promotes their emotional growth, which also impacts their advancement in other areas, including physical development. Another way to visualize bonding is “falling in love” with your baby. Children flourish from having a parent or other adult in their life who loves them unconditionally.
Start bonding by cradling your baby and carefully caressing him or her in various patterns. You and your partner can also enjoy the moment being “skin-to-skin” as you hold your newborn against your own skin while feeding or carrying him or her.
Babies, especially premature babies and those with medical complications, may react to infant massage. Specific kinds of massage may improve bonding and aid with your baby’s growth and development. A lot of books and videos discuss infant massage — consult with your doctor for recommendations. Beware, however — babies are not as tough as adults, so make sure that you massage your baby carefully.
Babies typically love vocal sounds, including talking, babbling, singing, and cooing. Perhaps, your baby will also enjoy hearing some music. Baby rattles and musical mobiles are other effective techniques to stimulate your infant’s hearing. If your newborn is being fussy, try singing, reciting poetry and nursery rhymes, or reading aloud as you sway or rock your baby gently in a chair.
Some babies can be unusually reactive to touch, light, or sound, and might startle and burst into tears easily, sleep less than expected, or look away when someone speaks or sings to them. If
your baby is one of those, maintain noise and light levels no higher than moderate.
Swaddling, which works effectively for some babies during their first few weeks, is another relaxing technique newbie parents should learn. Proper swaddling keeps a baby’s arms close to the body while permitting some movement in the legs. Not only does swaddling keep a baby warm, but it offers a sense of security and comfort. Swaddling also may help reduce the involuntary startle reflex, which can wake a baby.
Listed below is the proper way on how to swaddle a baby:
- Spread out a clean blanket, with one corner slightly folded.
- Lay down your baby on the blanket facing upwards with his or her head above the folded corner.
- Wrap the left corner across the body and tuck it underneath the back of your baby, going under your baby’s right arm.
- Take the bottom corner up over the baby’s feet and gently pull it toward the baby’s head, folding the fabric down if it gets near to the face. See to it that you’re not to wrapping too tightly around the hips. Hips and knees should be quite angled and turned out. Wrapping your baby too firmly may result to hip dysplasia.
- Wrap the right corner around the baby and put it under the baby’s back on the left side, leaving only the neck and head exposed. To ensure that you baby was wrapped sufficiently and that he or she can breathe comfortably, slip a hand between the blanket and your baby’s chest. However, the blanket should not be too loose, which may result to it becoming undone.
- Babies should no longer be swaddled once they’re 2 months old and older. Babies around this age often roll over while swaddled, which may lead to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).