First Month Activities To Do With Your Baby

The first month of your baby’s life is one of the most important and exciting times for any parent. During this time, you will get to know your little ones, build a bond with them, and nurture their development. To help make sure that you are doing everything right during this crucial period, here are some PEM Nanny Agency recommended suggestions that can help you along the way!

Bonding Through Touch & Smell 

The sense of touch is incredibly important in helping babies feel safe and secure. Skin-to-skin contact also helps with bonding between parent and child. 

That physical touch of a parent’s skin on a baby’s skin encourages growth, development, and attachment in infant-parent relationships. Not only does it help build and strengthen the bond with each other but also positively affects cortisol levels which help to regulate stress hormones. 

By being close together, parents can monitor their baby’s movements and heartbeats, as well as provide them with protection against stressful events. 

Skin-to-skin contact promotes feelings of warmth, security, comfort, and relaxation not just for babies but also for parents. It is a simple yet deeply meaningful act that has lasting effects on the relationship and shows your love to your little one in its most basic form.

Try to incorporate as much physical contact into your routine with your baby as possible—holding them while they sleep or while they are awake, caressing them gently with a soft cloth, etc. 

Don’t forget about the smell too! Babies recognise their parents through scent, and it’s essential for a newborn to be exposed to your unique smell early on in order to develop a strong bond over time. 

Babies have an incredible sense of smell; in fact, it’s believed that newborns can recognise their parents’ scents within a few days after birth. 

This may be due to the fact that a mother releases pheromones that get passed onto the baby during pregnancy. After birth, the baby can then distinguish between its parents’ scents compared to other people. 

Babies don’t just use scent as a way to recognise their parents either – they are also able to remember voices and faces with ease. It’s truly remarkable how quickly babies learn and build bonds with the people around them using these fantastic skills!

Playing With Toys 

Playtime can help stimulate a baby’s brain development from an early age. From rattles to soft blocks, there is no shortage of toys available for babies aged 0-6 months old. 

Babies brains are learning machines from the moment they’re born and playing with suitable toys can be an important part of that process. Playing with toys encourages babies to use their senses, think and discover how things work, build problem-solving skills, and even to help them recognize simple cause-and-effect relationships. 

As they get older, toy play can expand into more imaginative scenarios which allow them to develop social skills and learn about the world around them. 

By offering babies different kinds of toys as they grow – ones specifically designed for their age group – parents and caregivers can allay in helping them gain an understanding of their physical, cognitive, and language development abilities.

Playing with toys is an essential tool for a baby’s language development as it provides them with new ways to learn how to communicate. Toys allow a baby to explore their senses and discover their environment while developing motor skills, which can then be used in practice when they imitate words and sounds. 

Additionally, certain age-appropriate toys will provide an opportunity for adults and babies alike to interact meaningfully with one another through conversation, leading to further language growth! 

When exposed to these positive interactions, babies will be better prepared to reach milestones in language development as they learn vocabulary words and begin speaking in sentences.

Speaking of making sure to choose toys that are age appropriate – they should be made from natural materials such as wood or cotton, be lightweight enough for an infant to grasp easily, and be small enough not to pose any choking hazards. 

When playing with these toys together try to use different tones of voice so that your baby can learn the difference between words spoken softly versus those said in excitement or surprise.

Bonus: Introducing Solid Foods 

Yes, yes, we know that this isn’t something done within the 1-month range and it may even seem strange that some are introducing solids at four months old, but it is actually recommended by many paediatricians these days! 

Don’t worry. It’s natural to be nervous when it comes to introducing solid foods to your baby, but knowing that many paediatricians now recommend introducing solid foods at 4 months old can provide some reassurance. Also, this is something you can consider trying a few little ways down the road after this first month.

The right time for beginning solids actually depends on several factors, such as the child’s development and readiness to begin eating, but generally four months old is the ideal age for a baby’s body to start adjusting to the digestion of new foods. 

Studies have also shown that introducing solids earlier (or exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months) may help decrease the risk of childhood allergies by encouraging exposure to different food types from an early age. 

Ultimately, it is important to talk with your paediatrician about when and what type of food should be introduced into your baby’s diet.

This means that you have time to start introducing solid foods before your baby reaches six months old if you wish. If you do decide to start giving solids earlier than six months, make sure you introduce foods one at a time in case there is an allergic reaction or other issues that need addressing quickly. 

When introducing solid foods also pay attention and note when meals are finished as overeating can lead to health issues down the line. 

Closing Words

All in all, the first month of having a new baby around can be both magical and overwhelming all at once! 

Having some pointers on how best to spend this special time with your little one can make it easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved. 

Remember just how important touch and smell are when it comes to bonding as well as making sure that any toys introduced are age appropriate and may the bonding commence! 

And finally, don’t forget about introducing solid foods (if desired) – keep track of how meals go so that no one gets too full! With these tips in hand, enjoy every second of this precious time with your new bundle of joy!

However, if all of this feels all too much for you and you feel that you really need to recuperate more after your delivery that first month, don’t worry; we totally understand. May we recommend a suggestion – hiring a confinement nanny or a confinement lady? These confinement savants will be a fount of wisdom and knowledge for you to tap into. Not only will they be glad to give you tips on how to take care of children from their years of experience.

So, when you think “Nanny confinement”, think of PEM Nanny Agency!