Touch is one of the ways in which to bond with your newborn baby. Sister Lillian offers her top tips.
Feet Tickles:
Lay your baby down on his/her back.
Hold your baby’s feet.
Rub small circles on the sole of his/her feet with your thumbs.
Make as much eye contact as possible.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Hello, how are you? Let’s talk together” - stimulating and encouraging dialogue between you and your baby.
Development: Rubbing the instep helps soothe colic and massaging the toes helps alleviate blocked and runny noses.
Play-Time Tummy:
Hold your baby in your arms or lay him on a flat surface.
Gently rub your baby’s tummy.
Use playful touches and tickles that turn into games.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Hi, I’m your mommy and I’m fun.” This also makes your baby more aware of his/her own body.
Development: Ease digestion problems with clockwise rubbing of baby’s tummy. Stimulate the midpoint of the underside of the left heel to help with constipation.
Nappy-Change Tickle Times:
Encourage baby to experience a number of different textures by tickling baby with fabric during his/her nappy change.
Bonding: Helps you to understand your baby’s preferences.
Development: This helps to familiarise your baby with a number of different textures and raises his/her awareness of the feel of things and can help for tactile defensiveness.
Stretching Out:
Lay your baby down on his/her back.
Very gently bend both his/her knees in towards his/her tummy and then gently straighten out.
Development: This helps to relieve wind, colic and constipation.
Nappy-Change Belly Roll:
While your baby is lying on his/her back, gently roll a small beach ball across his/her tummy and up and down his/her legs and arms.
Encourage him/her to grab or touch it.
Development: This boosts your baby’s awareness of his/her own body and encourages excellent co-ordination practice.
Touch and Talk:
Sit or lie with your baby.
Gently rub each of his/her fingers and toes while counting and or singing nursery rhymes.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Listen to Mommy’s voice and see how much she loves you” - this also allows him/her to know that he/she and mommy occupy the same space together, which is very reassuring.
Development: Singing or talking to your baby in a sing-song voice can have a positive effect on brain growth because it helps your baby become interested in listening to your voice and helps teach language skills and improve concentration.
Pleased to Meet You:
While still pregnant, try rubbing your baby’s back through your tummy.
Try to feel your baby kicking back.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Hello, how are you? I can’t wait to meet you and hold you in my arms.”
Development: This helps impart a sense of security and well-being to your baby and stimulates communication and baby’s tactile sense.
Heartbeat:
Sit or lie down with your baby.
Cuddle and touch your baby with his/her head against your head.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “You are safe now, in my arms.” Hearing your heartbeat makes you baby feel secure.
Development: Holding your baby like this calms and reassures and helps all vital functions like breathing and heartbeat to function at their best, in turn leading to optimal development.
Legwork:
Lay your baby down on a flat supported surface (floor, bed or change mat) directly in front of you.
Place your hand(s) palm downwards on top of your baby’s thighs.
Gently slide your hands down his/her legs to his/her feet in one move, keep eye contact and talk and sing to your baby at the same time.
Try to make the moves gentle but rhythmical and repeat at least six times if the baby is happy.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Be calm, everything is okay.”
Development: This type of gliding movement relieves muscular tension in your baby’s legs and aids circulation, which can help warm up your baby’s feet if they are feeling cold.
Stroke and Sooth:
Hold and cuddle and look down at your baby.
Stroke your baby’s eyebrows with a rhythmic movement.
Gently stroke baby’s upper and lower jawline from ear to chin.
Bonding: This says to your baby: “Relax and allow my gentle touch to make teething pain or blocked nose go away.”
Development: Stroking your baby’s eyebrows helps to increase blood flow and drainage, which can help unblock nose, easing pain and discomfort.
Nappy-Change Target Practice:
While he/she is lying on his/her back, give your baby’s kicking a purpose by holding a target for him/her to try and hit - like a soft toy or pillow.
Praise him/her when he/she manages to hit the pillow or toy.
Development: This helps your baby learn to respond to your praise; it also allows his/her leg muscles and movement control to develop.
Rock a Baby:
Lie your baby on your thighs with his/her feet facing you.
Cradle his/her head with your hands and sway her gently from side to side.
Bonding: Your touch and the sight of your face help baby to feel reassured and calm.
Development: Movement stimulates baby’s vestibular system, improving balance, spatial awareness and co-ordination.
* Baby touch tips from Sister Lillian, on behalf of Pampers Premium Care With Dry Max. - The Mercury