Bonding with a newborn baby is easy when you're a breastfeeding new mom. You have ample opportunities to place your baby on your chest, look into his eyes, and sing to him as he takes a milk-drunk nap in your arms. Meanwhile, poor Dad is stuck washing bottles and changing midnight diapers.
If that doesn't seem fair, this is the perfect time to mix up the routine and give Daddy a chance to bond with your little one. There are plenty of easy ways to help your baby bond with dad, even if he's feeling a little nervous or unsure. Tell him that babies aren't as fragile as he thinks they are—and then show him this article!
We've created this guide to baby bonding to help new parents learn a few tricks they can put into practice today. There are dozens of ways to connect with your newborn, from skin-to-skin to sharing lullabies. When you put Daddy's strengths into practice, he'll be best buds with the baby in no time.
Read on to discover how all expecting parents can connect with their precious newborns, whether or not they're breastfeeding.
All About Bonding
You've just welcomed a new baby into the family, and even though you've anticipated their arrival for nine months, they're still a brand new human. Would you immediately fall in love with a stranger who showed up in your home? Bonding takes time, and it's okay if you need to get to know your little one before the magic happens.
Bonding is the gateway to attachment, which is how your baby relates to you. Your goal should be to form a secure attachment. That means your baby trusts you to care for them, which reduces stress and anxiety and improves their quality of life.
The problem is that many dads aren't sure how to relate to an infant. Babies can't talk, don't have interests, and spend most of the day sleeping. Unfortunately, small talk and fine dining are not the keys to a newborn baby's heart!
Bonding is a skill, just like diaper changing or burping. If you take the time to practice, you'll quickly feel those warm, fuzzy hormones flooding your system, and a strong attachment will be inevitable!
5 Easy Ways to Bond With a Baby
For some parents, bonding with a new baby is intuitive, but some new parents feel awkward, silly, or unconfident when they attempt to connect. Here are five parenting tips to help you form a bond with your newborn. Consider this permission to get a little silly as you do what it takes to get to know your sweet baby!
1. Try Skin-To-Skin Contact
Skin-to-skin contact between a newborn and a father helps your baby regulate its body temperature and heartbeat, just like with mom. Many dads build confidence in their parenting after just a few sessions. You will begin feeling protective toward the baby, and the baby will come to understand that you're a safe grown-up.
Put on a button-down shirt and dress the baby in a diaper. Unbutton the shirt and place the baby on your chest. Cover the baby with the shirt to keep them warm, then watch the magic happen.
2. Communicate With Your Baby
Eye contact is like a magic trick that leads to connection. Look into your baby's eyes as you talk, sing, or make silly sounds. It doesn't matter what you say because your baby doesn't understand yet anyway!
If your baby has started making noises, listen to them and echo them back to him. It's the first step toward helping your baby understand that they're capable of expressing themselves. This silly interaction helps a baby feel like their "words" are important.
As a bonus, these early interactions help little ones learn about conversational turn-taking, vocal tone, and pacing.
3. Make Time to Play
Your baby can't play Monopoly or join you at the arcade, but that doesn't mean they can't be your most steadfast playmate. It's easy to overstimulate a newborn. The easiest way to play with a baby is to show them unique objects they haven't seen before, like toys.
Hold up a rattle, provide a funny voice for a stuffed animal, or share some high-contrast black-and-white pictures with your little one. Talk about what you notice. Playtime doesn't need to be high energy to lead to brain development.
4. Carry Your Baby
Just about every baby loves it when you hold them. Wearing them on your chest provides sensory information that expedites their development. Although newborns have poor eyesight, they'll still marvel at the colors, textures, and patterns they see from this unique vantage point.
It's better to carry a newborn baby chest-to-chest, which provides an additional opportunity to make eye contact. As always, chat with your little one as you stroll along. You'll bond over your shared adventure, and your baby's brain will benefit from the new stimuli.
5. Read Your Baby a Book
New babies might not be able to comprehend a story, but they can still learn from storytime. All interactions with books help create foundations for literacy. Having text to read may also be more comfortable for nervous dads who aren't sure what to say to their newborns.
Snuggling close during story time can help dads and babies improve their bond. Go to a local bookstore as a family and have Dad choose the book. Any board book is fair game, and many publishers offer baby-friendly books on exciting topics for dads and infants alike.
Help Your Baby Bond With Dad
There's no secret to bonding with a newborn baby. Every parent can benefit from spending uninterrupted quality time with their little one. You can help your baby bond with dad by providing him with the tools he needs to make a connection.
Read more in Preparing for Fatherhood: Top 9 Tips for the First-Time Dads
Your Pixsee smart video baby monitor is one tool you can use to involve your dad in all of your baby's daily routines. Use the quality two-way talk feature to help Dad record a lullaby you can play as your sweet baby drifts off to sleep. You can also consider Pixsee Play & Pixsee Friends. They can help you play with your little ones in a fun and interative way.
Visit our Pixsee Shop and Amazon online store to discover the other features that make bonding with new babies a breeze.
