All your Baby Info

Knowledge is power. As a parent one needs to know how to bond with the newborn; its sleep, weight, potty training and much more.

Bonding: A special relationship

Bonding is a process where a special relationship or connection gets made between a parent and the newborn. This unique attachment can make both the parent and the newborn dependent on each other; while parents experience overwhelming emotions like nurturing and love, the newborn needs to feel secure and safe. Bonding makes parents rush to their crying newborns to soothe them while a baby upon being touched and spoken to, calms down as sense of security dawns in.

Bonding with your child may vary

Bonding may not be experienced by all parents in the same manner- while some parents will weep with joy and have an intense connection upon the birth of a baby, for others bonding might take some more time. As a parent, if you do not experience a “connection” when your baby is born, do not panic or feel guilty as it is completely alright to feel so, bonding is a process and can develop over time. Sometimes, owing to various reasons such as if a newborn is separated from his parents due to medical complications or even when babies are adopted there is a break in establishing a connection. But, this connection should get formed in the coming days or weeks as you start caring for your child.

Bonding is important as it

• Helps in establishing a strong relationship between parents and child.

• Promotes a feeling of security and wellbeing in the child.

• Builds social and emotional quotient of the child.

Bonding takes place in form of

• Touching or skin-to-skin contact with your baby not only connects but relaxes both you and the baby. Human touch is essential to feel validated and cared for; it helps promote self-esteem, a healthy growth and development.

• Eye-to-eye contact with your child is a form of silent communication but a powerful one. Babies recognize their mothers in the first few days of life.

• Talking to your baby is also a form of bonding as babies not only love to hear human voices, especially of the mother but also try to imitate the same vocals. They grasp and ape your facial expressions and gestures.

Father’s role while bonding with the child

Mostly, mothers bond much more with the newborn as they spend maximum time together during breastfeeding, massaging and sleeping. Fathers tend to lose out in spending quality time with their babies; hence effort should be made by the father to take part in the baby’s everyday routine such as:

• Changing diapers.

• Feeding.

• Cuddling or massaging.

• Talking and singing to the baby.

• Giving or sharing a bath with the baby.

• Putting the baby to sleep.

• A front baby carrier or sling is wonderful way of bonding with your baby while taking a stroll or during other activities. The warmth and closeness helps the baby feel secure.

In case, you do not feel a sense of bonding with your baby even after a few weeks of nurturing and caring, talk to your doctor or pediatrician. There can be various reasons for feeling so, ranging from your own personal problems, health issues of the child or even postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a real issue which needs early treatment for quick recovery and enhancing relationships with your baby and others.

Baby Weight

After a baby is born, the most common question asked by the new parents and family members is regarding the baby’s health. A baby’s weight is commonly considered as an indicator of general health of the newborn. Questions like – “what’s the weight of the baby?” or ‘how is the baby growing?’ are quite common. Parents are mostly clueless about the ‘normal’ weight and growth of the baby and the following information will help you gain insight about a baby’s weight and other factors related to it.

Baby Names

Well, how many times have we ourselves wondered how a certain name would have been “perfect” for us and that our present name says nothing about us as an individual?  Exactly!

You would like everything regarding your child to be “perfect” and naming your child tops the list after all it will last for a lifetime. You may want suggestions from friends and families while you and your partner are going through various books to pick the right name.

Baby Sleep

A sleeping baby will seem adorable to many but for new parents it can be confusing and frustrating at times. New mothers can get extremely tired and confused with the baby’s pattern of sleeping and her own sleeping needs. Babies have no idea about day and night and have to be fed frequently but adapting with their pattern and catching up sleep with their timings is a good idea for mothers who can later slowly introduce a sleeping pattern to the baby.

Potty training

Most parents are clueless about when potty or toilet training should be imparted to their kids. A child should be emotionally and physically ready to learn basics of toilet training as any resistance from the child can make the process frustrating. Most children aged between twenty-two to thirty months are ready to learn while some take longer or can learn earlier. Generally, girls pick the habit quickly when compared to boys.

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