It can be a challenge for a new dad to connect with their baby. Some people say that women become mothers while pregnant, and men become fathers after birth. Men don’t get to have the physical bond that a mom and baby share so dads can often feel left out. Pile on a screaming newborn and lack of sleep and you have a nasty environment for new dads to bond with their baby.
Bonding with your new child is the experience of a lifetime. Nothing can compare to the first time your newborn baby looks you straight in the eye. Luckily there is plenty of advice for dads on ways to bond with their child. Here are a few tips that I’ve come across that helped me.
Baby Bonding Tips For New Dads
- Don’t compete with Mom. It may seem blunt, but this is very important advice for dads. A mother has an obvious advantage in the bonding process. This is especially true if she is nursing. Simply put, a newborn and a mother have had 9 months of physically bonding and a dad cannot expect a similar experience.
- Physical touch. Without communication skills, physical contact plays a very important role when bonding with your baby. Babies love skin-to-skin contact to any degree. Studies have shown that skin contact can be used to calm a fussy baby and even help regulate their heart rate.
- Eye contact. I was amazed at how quickly our daughter was able to make eye contact. While holding your baby connect visually; it can help to build confidence and trust.
- Narrate your life. Your voice is a familiar sound (just now it is slightly less muffled) that your baby can recognize. Try to talk as much as you can. While doing your normal activities, explain what you are doing. It doesn’t matter what you say, just keep it simple.
- Jump in with both feet. Many new dads with no prior experiences with newborns are nervous about the bonding process. Trust me, as one of those dads I had no idea what to expect. Despite a few bumps on the road, you learn quick and you will be surprised what you are capable of.
- Be a part of the baby’s routine. Baby’s need a good routine. Find something that you can do. Whether it is feeding, bathing, or just playing you can have a special activity that is just for dad and baby.
- Be patient. Bonding will not happen overnight, it requires time, perseverance, and patience. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without that little crying monster.
As a man that had never even held a newborn until Baby A was born, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect with her as I would be more concerned with dropping her then making eye contact.
As a new dad you just need to pull up your socks and realize that it will only be as good as you make it. Take the time to be with your baby, just because mom has a 9 month head start doesn’t mean we can’t share the same connection!
Follow this advice and you will find that the bond was always there from the beginning… you just didn’t recognize it.
Do you any advice on bonding with your newborn that you found helpful?
Related posts:
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Find out what makes your kid laugh…and do it every day. It makes both of you…you and the baby…comfortable with each other. The rest will just come natural…
[Reply]
That’s exactly right Jared,
Allison’s favorite thing right now is everything farts…. makes my job a lot easier to crack a smile, lol.
[Reply]