There are so many precious memories to build during the first few days and weeks with your new baby. Parents and babies take this special time to really develop a strong bond – a deep attachment that will connect you for life. When you look back on this time it helps to have mementos like your baby’s first pair of personalized baby shoes or their first teddy bear to connect with the parent-child bond that will grow throughout your lives.

There are so many ways to develop a strong bond with your baby, including:

Touch

By focusing on skin contact with your new baby, each parent can create a feeling of safety and warmth that will comfort their child and let them know they are loved and well cared for. Placing your cheek to your baby’s cheek, stroking her/his arms or legs, massaging your baby’s belly when you are changing them – these are all effective ways to create a safe and loving space for your child.

Eye Contact

Infants’ eyesight is not yet fully developed, so giving your child the benefit of your close eye contact can let them become familiar with you and begin to learn facial expressions that will help you communicate.

Making Sounds

New babies are adjusting to life outside the womb, where sounds where muffled but your voice was the most constant. Signing, cooing, and talking to your baby will help them to continue to identify with you and feel comforted in their new environment.

Creating Memories

These first few days and months with your baby are some of the most special and unforgettable in each of your lives. Don’t forget to create a scrapbook or ‘memory box’ that you both can enjoy for years to come. By creating these mementos with your baby – talking with them to explain what each item and photo is, showing them each item and placing it in their tiny hands – you not only bond with your baby, you are essentially creating the memory box together. Add special items like your child’s first pair of shoes, personalized with their name and date of birth, along with their first tooth, first, baby spoon, and lock of hair from their first haircut.