New baby
Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Babies are born ready to communicate and focus on faces copying expressions. They like human voices and want to bond. Tiny baby’s brains can be built by:
Talk: Look at books with your baby and read to them from birth. It’s never too early to start and don’t worry if you feel silly – it’s really worthwhile when babies focus and respond. Use different voices – the sillier the better! Your local library has a great selection of books for babies. In fact daily activities for families are posted every weekday at 10:15am on all our Facebook pages (see the Solihull Libraries page here.
For specialist Speech and Language support, in addition to things you can do at home with your baby, visit our Speech and Language website here.
Play: Babies have alert times when they love to play. Tummy time and swimming builds your baby’s strength and can be done from birth. Start tummy time by lying your baby on your chest (only when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep) then move to the floor when ready. Copying games, singing and rhymes can build language as well as being fun. Check out these free resources to help build your babies brain from the NSPCC:
NSPCC Look Say Sing Play Leaflet
NSPCC Look Say Sing Play Activity Cards
NSPCC Look Say Sing Play Flashcards
Relax: babies love to watch you and relaxing with them being able to clearly see your face to copy build’s their brains. Video clips show how responsive babies can be and why it matters.
Cuddle: Enjoy your baby as often as possible with cuddles. Babies need to feel close to be secure and cuddling can help soothe a crying baby. Breastfeeding can be a fabulous way to stay close and give baby immediate, free, tailor-made milk without the need for sterilisation, protecting the health of mum and baby. Local support on feeding and nutrition is free and there’s more information in this ‘Feeding Baby’ leaflet
It is extremely important not to fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair and the safest place for babies to sleep in the first 6 months, is a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as parents/carers. Please refer to this important information on safe sleeping from day one and ask your Health Visitor if you have any questions.
Respond: Being sensitive and responding to your crying baby helps them to be secure, and knowing you will respond calms babies. To find out more about why being responsive matters, have a look at our free online course using the code APPLEJACKS.
If you have any concerns about your baby’s health or development, talk with your Health Visitor.
Solihull’s Health Visiting Service have just launched a brand new service called Chat Health. Chat health is a secure text messaging service from which you can contact the Health Visiting team and be responded to Monday to Friday from 09:00am-16:00pm. For more information visit ChatHealth
Why not get it touch with our Health Visiting team? Or even just browse lots of valuable information they have provided via our Health for Under Five’s Website at: Health for Under 5s | For healthy, happy early years