Having some mummy and baby bonding time (and of course daddy and baby bonding time) is crucial to your child’s development – experts suggest that bonding as babies will help your child develop into a healthy adult capable of forming relationships, being social and expressing emotions. It can be a struggle sometimes in between the crying, nappy changing, feeding and general chaos that’s involved in having a baby, but you have to make those moments count wherever you can.
Here are just a few ways you can spend time together and enjoy your special connection.
Bath time
For a lot of babies, bath time is a routine they really look forward to. The warm water is relaxing and allows your baby to have a little bit of fun, which makes it an enjoyable bonding experience for both of you. It’s also an activity that both mum and dad can do (sometimes dad can feel a little left out in the early days), and so you both can start making some happy memories with your little one.
Nursing
The skin to skin contact that comes from breast feeding is such an intimate experience and therefore it’s a firm favourite for bonding time with your new born. The process of giving nourishment to your baby is also a way to establish trust and associates you with being a source of comfort. For dad, it’s also important for him to experience this too, so bottle feeding will help him to establish the same trust and connection with baby.
Co-sleeping
The trend of sharing your bed with your baby is called co-sleeping, and while it is a bit unconventional it’s proving to be quite popular for one on one bonding time. Co-sleeping while you’re breastfeeding is particularly convenient, but it has other benefits too – you can respond more quickly to your baby’s cries, it’s a better opportunity for you both to get some sleep, and it has physiological benefits too including improvements to your baby’s heart rate and blood pressure.
Baby massage
The urge to massage your baby comes instinctively when your little one is upset or suffering from colic or reflux – you automatically rub their back or tummy to try to comfort them. Baby massage encourages the release of oxytocin, the happy hormone, helping your baby to relax and making for an excellent bonding experience. Here are a few tips on how and when to massage your baby and create an really enjoyable experience for both of you.
How the Babocush can help with bonding
You know that baby bonding time is important, but if your baby is struggling with wind, colic, reflux or has trouble settling it can seem impossible to get some quiet time together. The Babocush has been helping parents of new born babies all over the world with their bonding time, as the unique design and features of the Babocush make it much easier for your baby to settle and get comfortable, allowing you more opportunities to explore these bonding exercises.
When is your favourite time to bond with your new born?
