bonding with your baby means getting to know your baby.

bonding with your baby. as a postpartum doula in swva , i share my insight and suggestions on getting to know your baby. bonding means taking intentional time to look at, study, and get to know your baby. together, you both get to know each other. wikipedia describes bonding this way: “it is a mutual, interactive process, and is different from simple liking. it is the process of nurturing social connection”.

sometimes bonding with your baby feels like it could use a little inspiration. i’ve been thinking about this idea of baby bonding today. after a beautiful conversation with a newly delivered mama, i was reminded that sometimes bonding with your baby doesn’t come as easy as you would want.

what  if the birth went differently than expected or maybe it was traumatic in some way for the mother.  or maybe the baby is frustrated and cries frequently. sometimes we need a little help from our friends.

 here is a list that i came up with that helped me when my babies were very young and close in age.  hopefully, my list of twelve activities for bonding with your baby can stir your creative bonding ideas to come to life.

 

skin-to-skin is a great way to bond with a baby in those first weeks of birth. each parent can have this experience with the baby.

do something you enjoy and bring the baby along.  maybe coffee in a coffee shop is your favorite thing to do. adventure out together.

what about taking a neighborhood walk with your baby.

dancing to your favorite song while holding your baby.

taking a car ride and singing along with the music.  your baby likes to hear your voice. music and singing is soothing to your baby, especially if you did this while pregnant.  your baby will recognize your voice as something he is familiar with. now this is bonding.

prepare a leisurely bath and have someone bring in the baby for part of it.

touching your baby’s face and arms and holding his feet are ways to begin baby massage which babies usually enjoy at just the right time.

baby kisses. babies love kisses and don’t forget those baby toes..

hold hands and linger. let those little fingers clasp around yours.

reading with your baby is a way to share something you love with him. sharing a part of yourself is a neat way to get to know your baby.  read with facial expressions and voices to keep it interesting. start with nursery rhymes or make up a story about them using their name.

talk to your baby with lots of enthusiasm. tell them stories of you as a child. watch their response and notice how attentive they are.

look at your baby photos and see if you can spot any family resemblances:  the eyes,  hair or lack of, his nose, lips, or dimples.

i would love to know if any of these ideas spurred you on with your own ideas for bonding with your baby. leave a comment below.

i thought you might like to read about my super fast birth that happened one block from home…….

ever wonder what a postpartum doula does? click here to find out.

more about grammie doula:

i offer in-person and virtual postpartum doula support in sw virginia and my clients call me “grammie doula”.  i have 25 years as a labor and delivery nurse and then 10 years as a birth photographer.

i am a mom to 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren and a baby in heaven. i live in a cabin in the woods with my gray-bearded husband and two pets that prefer his company over mine! ~laura