Having a baby is an exciting part of life. And while having a baby brings with it many life highlights, it’s also important to recognize that caring for a baby can bring with it a whole new set of challenges. And when it’s the father’s turn to care for his child, it can sometimes seem overwhelming.
Skin Contact
One of the best ways to deepen your connection with your baby is to have prolonged skin contact with the baby. This skin contact not only helps keep your baby warm, but it can also imitate the baby’s experience of comfort and safety when inside the womb.
Doing this will also allow you to better understand your baby’s signals sooner because you can better feel the movements of your child—you can feel when your child’s tummy rumbles and can subsequently connect that symptom to any crying from the baby in order to know that your newborn is hungry.
Bottle-Feeding
Taking the time to bottle-feed your baby can make a big difference in becoming better connected with your newborn. And you shouldn’t feel guilty about bottle-feeding because it actually has a lot of benefits.
For example, some babies can be lactose intolerant so having the opportunity to feed your baby with a bottle can allow you the opportunity to feed your newborn an alternative to dairy milk. Additionally, it’s also a lot easier to gauge how much the baby has consumed when you are feeding her with a bottle because you can clearly measure the ounces
Talk to Your Newborn
In addition to spending time with your baby bottle-feeding, talking to your newborn in soothing tones can help you better connect with your baby. Talking in soothing tones will help the baby continue to grow its feeling of security around you.
Additionally, as you are able to spend time with the baby talking to him or her, you’ll be able to learn more about the baby’s temperament and what the newborn is best comforted. This will help you better understand your child and feel more confident when it comes to caring for your baby.
Figuring out how to connect with and care for your newborn baby as a father can seem challenging at first. You want to understand your baby’s needs and preferences but when your newborn can’t talk, it can be difficult. Starting with some of the suggestions in this article can help you deepen that connection.
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