You Can Do This With Your Infant

1. Show Care

Your new baby needs all the love and attention it can get. As a father, you can hold your child, talk to it, and change it. It calms your child and strengthens your bond.

#TIP: Keep your baby full and satisfied between breastfeeds.

2. Look your child in the eye

Make eye contact with your toddler, even if they appear to be flickering. With practice, your child will become better at maintaining eye contact. You can grimace or chat with your child while looking them in the eye. Even if it doesn’t understand what you’re saying, your child knows the sound of his father’s voice and it reassures him.

#TIP: Your newborn baby looks best at 20-35 cm away, so get close.

3.Allow skin-to-skin contact

Skin-to-skin contact is vital for your child’s immune system development. For example, you can lay on the couch with your child on his stomach for skin-to-skin contact. Your baby should be diapered and you should be bare or unbuttoned. Remember not to fall asleep with the baby on your stomach.

#TIP: Cover the baby with a duvet or blanket so it doesn’t get cold when you skin-to-skin.

4. Calm your child

While your child may cry because he is hungry, he may also be crying for security. As a father, you can easily comfort and calm your child by walking around with it and gently rocking it. Because you don’t smell like breast milk like your boyfriend, it’s sometimes beneficial for you to comfort or cuddle. This is because it can make a child hungry and thus uneasy.

#TIP: Take your child to a quiet room or go for a walk with the pram.

5. Encourage your child’s growth

You can help your child grow in many ways. You can help your child strengthen his neck and back by putting him on his stomach while awake. Talk to your doctor about the best exercises for your child.

#TIP: If your child dislikes lying on his stomach, try lying next to him.