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.