Learning ways to bond with your baby will be beneficial in many different ways! Some of the benefits for bonding with your baby include a happier, less fussy baby, and less stress on you since you are more attuned to baby’s needs. It’s easy to bond with your baby when you know how to do it. Keep on reading to learn my top special ways to bond with your baby!
One of the best ways to bond with your baby is through skin-to-skin contact! Try to offer skin-to-skin contact a couple of times a day. During feeding periods is a great time to do this! Also, remember to make sure your partner has skin-to-skin contact with baby too, since your baby should bond equally with both parents.
Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or in another form of carrier. I am a big fan of babywearing! Not only is it a great way to bond with your baby, but it keeps baby close and secure while your hands are freed up to take care of things on your to-do list. Babywearing may also lower your baby’s risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) since he or she is right there with you at all times.
If you breastfeed, then you already know that feeding times are a great bonding session! But bottle-fed babies can bond with their parents during feeding times as well. The best way to bond while bottle-feeding is to give your baby their bottle yourself as often as he or she will let you. Even if your little one can hold their bottle by themselves, if you give it to him or her than you are establishing a bond.
Here is one way to bond with your baby that is debatable. Not everyone supports co-sleeping but it’s a great tool for bonding with your bundle of joy. If you decide to co-sleep, please look up and follow safety guidelines to keep your little one out of harm's way.
A great way to bond with your small fry is by fulfilling their needs, and how best to learn those needs than by learning to interpret their cries? Sounds crazy to some, but babies have a different cry for different needs. A hunger cry, a pain cry, a sleepy cry, and the list goes on. Learn the difference between each cry so you can best care for your baby, thus enhancing your bond!
Learn the basics of baby massage to keep your little one relaxed and content! All you need is a little warm baby lotion. Use a gentle touch, and stroke your baby’s arms, legs, back, and head. Your pediatrician can instruct you on how to do this! Massage is effective at soothing your baby and strengthening the bond between the two of you.
A stressed out mama equals a stressed out baby, so learn to keep a balanced schedule as much as possible. Babies can sense when mommy is stressed out, and that will not increase your bond. Set boundaries between extended family, commitments outside the home, too much work being brought home from the office, and yes, between the relationship with you and your lover and your baby. You need uninterrupted time together occasionally! These things can all increase your bond with your baby!
I hope my tips for ways to bond with your baby have given you some great suggestions to get started bonding with your little one. In what ways to you bond with your baby? Please comment below and thanks for reading!