Newborn Baby Special
Hi All
I know it has been a long time since I blogged but the birth
of our first grandchild has inspired me to reopen the dialogue.
Newborns are tiny, but they are also eager to learn from the
moment they are born. Their senses are heightened as they suddenly get full access
to a wide variety of new sensations through sight, hearing, taste, touch and
smell. Introducing playthings that are specifically designed to help them build
new brain connections will help facilitate this development.
When babies are born their sense of sight is still developing
and for the first few months newborns see images with a high contrast most
clearly. Ideally images in black and white and then after the first few weeks
with the addition of red will stimulate them most. These images can be in the
form of mobiles, activity mats, soft books, toys or simple pictures.
There is also a strong link between a Child’s intelligence
and the amount of words they hear; are exposed to in the early stages of their
life. Therefore, exposing babies however young to language early and often is
very important. This can easily be done by narrating your day to them as you do
things, pointing things out around your environment, sharing high contrast picture
books together and talking to them about what you see. Also making eye contact
when you talk to them and using gentle touch or mime to engage them will help
both emotionally and physically with their social development as well.
In the womb your child performed somersaults and kicked
their legs and punched their arms about regularly through the day. It is
tempting to spend a lot of time cuddling your newborn, and this is very
important to develop bonding and confidence. However, it is also important to
allow newborns to have a good kick around on safe soft mat or in a crib so that
they can continue to develop their muscles and coordination.
Sleeping routines often become an issue for many parents,
starting helpful practices early will help both your baby and you get the sleep
they need. Often your baby will fall asleep on you especially after feeding and
this is a lovely cosy time. However, developing flexibility is a very important
skill. So mix it up and sometimes after shared cuddles put them in their crib
to continue sleeping, they may wake as you do this but if you move the crib gently,
they will often self soothe and return to sleep. Also try sometimes putting your
baby in the crib when he is just starting to fall off to sleep and play some
music or continue talking and they will often start to murmur, and soothe
themselves to sleep. Using a variety of strategies will help your newborn learn
to settle in different conditions and not to develop habits that are hard to
break later on. As long as you have lots of cuddles and shared times together,
they will feel loved and cared for even if you don’t hold them all the time.
Your newborn and you are starting a wonderful adventure, but
remember you are both learning as you go and although you may not get
everything right, newborns, babies and children are far more resilient than we
give them credit for. The thing they need most is love and attention and everything
else will fall into place with time and practice.
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