Ways To Bond With Your New Baby

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Congratulations on the birth of your new baby! You have been waiting for your baby to arrive and they are finally here. Most people will probably bombard you with parenting advice including feeding tips, advice on how to get sleep, and what baby essentials you should stock up on. However, not too many people will give you advice on how to bond with your new baby. If you are looking for ways to bond with your new baby, continue reading.

Use a Baby Sling

If you want to find ways to bond with your new baby, use a baby sling more often than a baby stroller. Using a baby sling gives you the opportunity to have close and physical contact with your baby, as well as face-to-face visual contact. When your baby is closer to you, you’re able to meet your baby’s needs more quickly and efficiently. When you choose a baby sling, make sure it allows the baby to face you. It will be easier to notice when your baby appears distressed, hungry, or tired.

Breastfeed to Bond with Your New Baby

When you breastfeed, you are the main source of your baby’s food. Breastfeeding doesn’t just provide food to your baby, but it also promotes a precious bond between you and your baby. You are carrying your baby in your arms to feed him every time he is hungry. Over time, he learns that you are a safe person in his life that he can trust and provide for his needs.

Take Lots of Pictures Together

After your baby is born, there will be so many opportunities to take pictures with your new baby and capture their first moments and events. I loved taking different pictures of my baby after she was born. Some examples were:

• Our first selfie together
• First Christmas
• First smile
• First park visit
• First group family picture
• First mall visit
• First Halloween costume
• First dress

You also have a lot of great options when it comes to what you want to do with the pictures.

When we had our first Christmas with the baby, we took various pictures of the baby with her family and gifts. Afterward, we created a Shutterfly photo book with a “First Christmas With Baby” theme.

You can also create a collage or photo album with your baby pictures.

An important part of bonding with your baby is showing these pictures to your baby and talking about them. They may not understand what you’re telling them, but you still bond through face-to-face contact and speaking to your baby. Also, they hear you speak different sounds and words. This helps them to improve their understanding of language later down the road.

Read Books to Bond with Your New Baby

Some people might say that it’s too early to read books to your new baby, but I disagree. Reading books to your baby has so many benefits including bonding as well as increasing the chances of your baby having stronger literacy skills in the future. There are lots of great book options to read to your baby. I highly recommend using board books with various, bright, and colorful images. Also, try reading books that have sensory benefits, such as “touch-and-feel” books. Lots of babies love to touch and grab things.

Sing and Play Music for Your Baby

Singing to your baby is a terrific way to bond with your new baby.

One of the benefits associated with singing to your baby is helping to relieve the baby’s distress. When my baby cried, I always went down the “list” of things to help soothe her, including checking her diaper, feeding her and burping her. If I tried all these things but none of them worked, I would sing and rock the baby. This almost always helped her to stop crying. When this happens, it helps to bond with your new baby because they learn that when they are distressed, they can trust you and know you will keep them safe and comfortable.

Go forth and bond!

It can take time to feel a bond with your new baby, but once more time passes and you create more bonding experiences together, it will all start to come together. I’ve had several moms come to me, feeling worried about not feeling an immediate bond once their babies are born. This doesn’t surprise me, as relationships take time to form. Give it time and before you know it, you will have an unbreakable bond with your new baby.