Newborn connecting and communicating: in a nutshell

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Newborns like to be held and cuddled – it's essential for healthy brain development. A good hug is worth a whole conversation and makes him feel loved and wanted. Your baby also loves being close to you. Making skin-to-skin contact, or being carried in a baby pouch or sling, helps him feel connected and safe. You could also try baby massage.

Babies also use their sight and hearing to interpret the world around them. To tell him, ‘I care about you’, maintain eye contact until he looks away. A smiling face looking into his and a warm, sing-song voice (called ‘parentese’) help your newborn feel content and protected.

At just a few days old, your baby can recognise your voice. He can also tell a soft, gentle tone from a harsh, angry one. Since he can't change his own behaviour until much older, any anger you direct at him will only confuse and scare him.

How your newborn communicates

Crying is the universal language of the newborn and their way of telling you what they need (see also Newborn Behaviour). Your baby will cry when he needs attention because of a soiled nappy, feeling hungry, wind or just needing some comforting.

Body language: what is baby ‘saying’?
As well as crying, newborns communicate using their body and facial expressions. A baby will tense up if uncomfortable and fall into a comfortable shape in your arms when relaxed. A baby can even tell us when they are tired if we learn to read their signals. The following body language may give you clues to your newborn’s needs.

• yawns, puts fists to eyes, drowsy eyes, sleepy blinks: ‘I am sleepy’
• opens his mouth: ‘I am hungry’
• opens eyes wide with alert body movements: ‘I am ready to play and learn’
• turns his head away or arches his back: ‘No thanks’

These physical signals reveal your newborn’s basic needs. You may want to slowly match his natural cycle with a routine of ‘feed, play, sleep’. This consistent routine is as comforting as a toddler’s teddy bear. It helps you both know what to expect during your day together.

Bonding with your newborn

Bonding (also called 'attachment') is when an infant forms long-lasting emotional ties with a special person in his world (usually his mother and father).

Scientific research shows that infants who are securely attached to that someone special have better social and cognitive skills as older children. They are more curious, confident, cooperative and self-reliant than others who are not securely attached. All babies will securely attach if their parents are consistent in tending to their baby's physical and emotional needs.

For parents, that 'bonding' feeling can hit as soon as they see their baby for the first time. For others, it may take some time, months or even years. Sometimes postnatal depression can interfere with your emotional connection to your newborn, which is why it's important to tell someone if you're feeling depressed and seek help as soon as possible. In the few cases where a parent never feels that special bond, parents can still provide a healthy, structured and caring environment to help their child grow into a well-adjusted adult.

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  Newsletter snippet: Newborn connecting and communicating: in a nutshell
  

   

  By Raising Children Network

  At only a few days old your newborn can:

  • recognise your voice
  • tell the difference between gentle, softly spoken words and an angry, raised voice.

  
  You can communicate with your baby by:

  • holding, cuddling or massaging him
  • smiling and speaking gently and rhythmically
  • using eye contact
  • responding with attention or comfort when he cries.

  
  Your newborn can communicate with you by:

  • yawning and rubbing his eyes if he’s sleepy
  • opening his mouth if he’s hungry
  • arching his back or turning his head away if something isn’t right
  • crying
  • tensing up if he’s not comfortable.

  
  Bonding with your baby is important for his longer-term emotional, social and intellectual development.
  
  This article is an extract only. For more information visit raisingchildren.net.au/connecting__communicating/newborns_connecting.html

  Sourced from the Raising Children Network's comprehensive and quality-assured Australian parenting website www.raisingchildren.net.au.