What you can do and observe with newborn babies

WHAT YOU CAN DO AND OBSERVE - Provide ways for your baby to see, hear, move arms and legs freely, and touch you. Skin-to-skin contact is also very good and can be done from time to time. > You should see your baby’s arms and legs move in disconnected manners. Slowly your baby learns how to control her/his movements. - Look into your baby’s eyes, and smile in response to the child’s smiles by watching her/his face. > You should see your baby react positively to your facial expressions, movements and gestures. Your baby learns to communicate and you begin to see her/him respond to you, even before birth. - Talk to your baby using sweet intonations and ‘baby talk’. Both the father and the mother should communicate with the newborn. > You will notice that she/he can hear and will soon start memorizing and copying your words. - You can gently change the sound of your voice by making it slow or quick, high or low, or quiet or loud. > You should observe reaction from your baby’s face and body and notice she/he is interacting with you. - Place the baby on her/his tummy. Shake a rattle or bell in front of him and slowly lift the rattle just a little and encourage her/him to lift her/his head and shoulder to watch it move. > Doing so will help the baby follow the rattle with his eyes, and practice lifting her/his head and shoulders. In the meantime, she/he will listen to the sound the rattle makes. - Gently soothe, stroke and hold your child. > You will see your baby comforted and happy to be held and cuddled. - Do skin to skin contact with your child from time to time. > You should feel your baby secure and calm as she/he feels, touch, hear and smells your presence. Next article: