• Hug and cuddle your newborn as much as you can. There is no stronger form of communication which says, "I love you," than a hug. By doing this you are communicating to your newborn that they are important and loved.
• When newborn gazes into your eyes. Communicate with her by simply gazing back into her eyes.
• Speak to your newborn in a fun and musical voice which is often called "motherese." Newborn babies show a strong preference for this and seem to really like it.
• Respond quickly when your newborn cries. This communicates to your newborn that she can trust the world to meet her needs. Having her needs met by you is a very powerful means of communicating your love for her.
• Newborn babies benefit greatly when you talk, sing and read to them. By communicating with your voice your newborn will learn to associate the sound as comforting and ultimately it will help her identify objects with specific sounds. Essentially, by talking and communicating with your newborn you are laying the foundations for language development.
• Sing lots of nursery rhymes (in case you can't remember the words we've listed a few in the learning section).
• Communicate with your newborn by repeating her sounds back to her. This will encourage your newborn to verbalize sounds in the future which is vital for language development.
• Smile back when your newborn smiles at you (newborn babies first smile happens at around 6 weeks of age.)
• Give your newborn a variety of objects and toys to explore and talk to her about them. How they feel and sound.
• When you are going about your daily jobs tell your newborn what you are doing. Even do this while changing her diaper. You can simply say, "Oh look you have a dirty diaper. I'm just going to change it now. Let's wipe you clean." Do this while feeding and bathing her as well. Talking is such a valuable communication tool - it would be a shame not to use it.
• Show your newborn the world by taking her for mini walks around the house or backyard.
• Cuddle, cuddle and offer some more cuddles! Affection and attention is like food to a newborn.
• Use the language of touch by massaging and stroking your newborn babies back, shoulders, arms and legs.

Related Tips

• How your newborn learns to communicate
• It will be months before your baby says her first word. However, babies start learning about language much earlier.
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