Welcome to the world of parenting. Here you can learn about your newborn’s development week by week and get ideas about toys and activities to share with your new baby. We have advice on the best way to keep your baby safe , as well as tried and tested tips for soothing a fussy baby
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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Every baby arrives in this world as a unique individual. Every newborn has her likes and dislikes. All of these factors work together to create a gorgeously unique baby. These qualities influence how your newborn will communicate with you. By learning how your baby communicates, you’ll be able to meet her everyday needs with love and attention.
Even in the first few weeks after birth your baby is learning about language. Very young babies can tell the difference between speech and other sounds. They can tell the difference between the voices of men and the voices of women. They even know the voice of their own mother. A baby can distinguish between the voice of her mother and the voices of other women. Babies can also communicate long before they speak. They use movements and sounds to let you know what they want or don’t want. Some people refer to these as a baby’s ‘signals’.
Right now, your baby can tell you if she needs something by fussing or crying. She can also let you know when she likes something or someone by looking intently. Babies learn best how to tell parents what they like or don’t like when they begin to see that parents respond to them in positive ways.
Even before she can speak, you need to talk to your baby. Although there are differences among individuals, babies whose parents talk to them talk sooner. They also have bigger vocabularies. Talking to babies gives them language skills that will help them learn more easily when they get to school. Hearing words on the radio or TV is not very helpful to babies’ learning. Your baby benefi ts from having you up close smiling, singing, and interacting with her.
Lucky for us, newborn babies are born with a strong desire to communicate and to connect with you. They communicate through
different types of crying, eye contact, and body language. And just before she’s two months old, she’ll begin to show pleasure and enjoyment by smiling — just lovely, and worth the wait!
for a newborn. Do you remember your baby’s first cry? That’s the first form of verbal communication. Essentially by filling her lungs
with air and crying she is telling you and all the medical staff that her lungs are working okay.
At first, you may not know the difference between all your newborn baby’s cries, but in time you will. Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t figure out which cry is which. Getting to know your baby takes time and patience. You’ll get there. Before you know it, you’ll know the difference between a hungry cry and a tired cry. Here are a few pointers to help you along the way:
talk with your little one. Avoidance of eye contact can mean your newborn is tired or overstimulated. Rubbing eyes is the classic sign for, ‘I’m feeling tired. I need to sleep.’
environment may help. Kicking, squirming, and jerking can also be a way of expressing excitement.
Look for these little signs of communication that your newborn is sending to you. Over time, you’ll get to know them. Even if you feel like you haven’t got a clue, you can never go wrong with offering lots and lots of cuddles.
By Nicole Rawson-Huff
Even in the first few weeks after birth your baby is learning about language. Very young babies can tell the difference between speech and other sounds. They can tell the difference between the voices of men and the voices of women. They even know the voice of their own mother. A baby can distinguish between the voice of her mother and the voices of other women. Babies can also communicate long before they speak. They use movements and sounds to let you know what they want or don’t want. Some people refer to these as a baby’s ‘signals’.
Right now, your baby can tell you if she needs something by fussing or crying. She can also let you know when she likes something or someone by looking intently. Babies learn best how to tell parents what they like or don’t like when they begin to see that parents respond to them in positive ways.
Even before she can speak, you need to talk to your baby. Although there are differences among individuals, babies whose parents talk to them talk sooner. They also have bigger vocabularies. Talking to babies gives them language skills that will help them learn more easily when they get to school. Hearing words on the radio or TV is not very helpful to babies’ learning. Your baby benefi ts from having you up close smiling, singing, and interacting with her.
Lucky for us, newborn babies are born with a strong desire to communicate and to connect with you. They communicate through
different types of crying, eye contact, and body language. And just before she’s two months old, she’ll begin to show pleasure and enjoyment by smiling — just lovely, and worth the wait!
Crying
Yes, your baby is communicating with you when she is crying! This is the most efficient and effective means of communicatingfor a newborn. Do you remember your baby’s first cry? That’s the first form of verbal communication. Essentially by filling her lungs
with air and crying she is telling you and all the medical staff that her lungs are working okay.
At first, you may not know the difference between all your newborn baby’s cries, but in time you will. Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t figure out which cry is which. Getting to know your baby takes time and patience. You’ll get there. Before you know it, you’ll know the difference between a hungry cry and a tired cry. Here are a few pointers to help you along the way:
- A hungry cry is characterized by a rhythmic pattern and is usually accompanied by kicking of legs.
- A bored cry is less intense with longer pauses as your newborn is giving you a chance to respond. How thoughtful!
- A cry of pain is very intense and loud. It will make you run faster than you ever thought possible!
Eye contact
A newborn who is actively seeking eye contact is telling you she is wanting attention. This is a great opportunity to sing, cuddle, andtalk with your little one. Avoidance of eye contact can mean your newborn is tired or overstimulated. Rubbing eyes is the classic sign for, ‘I’m feeling tired. I need to sleep.’
Body language
Your newborn may wiggle and kick if she is feeling a bit frustrated or annoyed. Changing your newborn baby’s position orenvironment may help. Kicking, squirming, and jerking can also be a way of expressing excitement.
Look for these little signs of communication that your newborn is sending to you. Over time, you’ll get to know them. Even if you feel like you haven’t got a clue, you can never go wrong with offering lots and lots of cuddles.
By Nicole Rawson-Huff
Next: How to communicate with your newborn
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