Cuddling is one of the best ways to bond with your baby, and it’s also a great way to develop their cognitive skills. Babies learn and grow through being held, spoken to and sung to.
Snuggle-Stimulation
Cuddle-stimulation is the act of holding your baby in a way that stimulates all five senses at the same time. It’s important to do this because cuddling with your baby provides comfort, reassurance and security for her. It also helps her develop a sense of trust and security toward you and it helps you bond with each other.
This type of contact should happen on a daily basis as part of a routine in which both parents participate (when possible). Cuddle-stimulation can last from a few minutes to an hour or more depending on what each parent finds comfortable; however, no matter how long you do it for, make sure to always talk to your partner about when it’s time to stop because if one person feels uncomfortable then they might not be getting enough attention from their partner anymore which could cause problems later on down the road!
Swaddling & Bundling
When it comes to keeping your baby warm and cozy, there’s nothing better than a good swaddle or bundle. Babies love the feeling of being wrapped up snuggly, and swaddling can help them sleep longer and more soundly.
However, it is important for you to get it right! If your baby’s arms are too tight or legs are tucked too close together (they should be able to move their legs freely), he may not be able to breathe properly and might get upset—or worse! He could even startle himself awake when his body tenses up in response to being restricted in this way. On the flip side, if his arms are not secured enough or wrapped too loosely around him, he won’t feel secure enough during sleep time either—and this will likely lead him into another bout of waking up early without any real cause other than a lack of comfortability within his own skin (which is actually a pretty big deal). Furthermore: make sure nothing is covering his face so that he can breathe comfortably while sleeping; also check regularly throughout bedtime routine that everything else looks good on top while checking underneath too because sometimes they try hiding under blankets which isn’t great!
The best way I’ve found so far is ensuring room temperature throughout night time hours so everyone stays comfortable all night long…so far I’m doing pretty alright at keeping everyone happy but if anyone has tips please let me know 🙂
Record Sounds
The sounds of your baby’s world are very important to them, and they will learn to recognize their own sounds. You can record the sound of their bedroom, their play area or even the sound of a different room in your house. They’ll hear it over and over again when asleep, so it will help them sleep better.(1)
Additionally, replicating these sounds may boost their language skills. A study published in the journal Infant Behavior & Development asked mothers of infants (aged 6 months) to use recordings daily for twenty minutes while reading books or putting on clothes.(2) The researchers found that infants who heard recordings with music showed an improvement in early vocabulary skills compared with those who did not receive this intervention.(3)
Bath Time
Bathing your baby can be a great way to bond with them.
You should bathe your child every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes in the sink or tub.
The best way to make sure that you’re bathing your baby safely is by using only water with soap on their skin and keeping their head above water at all times (except when shampooing). You should not use bath oils, bubble baths or other products while they are still in the bathtub or sink because they could be dangerous if swallowed or inhaled by the infant.
Feeling Loved & Safe
You’ve heard it before: your baby needs to feel loved and safe. The best way to make sure your little one feels both is by holding them, talking to them, singing to them, showing affection and being patient. They need consistency from you as well—if you say “no” this morning when they’re reaching for the lights, then say yes tomorrow when they’re doing the same thing (even if it’s not exactly that exact scenario), they’ll begin to doubt whether or not their behavior matters in any way. After all: why would a parent change their mind based on something so trivial?
This isn’t just about discipline; it’s also about helping babies learn what’s right or wrong for themselves. For example, if a child can’t reach something by standing up on the couch but does so anyway because he thinks he’ll get in trouble if his parents find out—or worse yet get hurt—he may decide never again to try anything new because of fear of punishment or physical harm. Instead of saying “no” every time someone does something dangerous or unhealthy (which is impossible!), be consistent with how you respond when someone breaks one rule but still encourages curiosity about other things that are acceptable within reason (i.e., climbing onto high surfaces).
babies learn and grow through being held, spoken to and sung to.
Babies learn and grow through being held, spoken to and sung to. All of these experiences help babies develop their language skills, which are crucial for learning later on in life. For example, babies who are read to regularly are more likely to be ready for school by age four than those who aren’t read to at all.
Reading stories also helps your child learn about the world around them through making connections between what they see in pictures and what they hear verbally when you read the words together.
Why Cuddles are so Important
Let us take you through the 7 reasons why cuddling is so important to your little one’s development.
1: Cuddling Eases Pain
When a child is hurt they immediately lift their arms wanting a cuddle. Similarly when younger babies cry they want to be picked up and comforted. For generations, we’ve known that cuddling makes them feel better – but recent research has shown this to be fact. Not only does soft touch make infants feel better, but that it actually eases their pain. [1]
2: It Enables Eye Contact
The last sense to fully form is eyesight. At birth, a baby can only focus on objects around 25cm from them, which happens to be the perfect distance from your face to their eyes when holding them. Eye contact is so important for wee ones. Studies have shown that eye contact plays a key role in brain development and bonding, and simply cuddling them and gazing into their face can help with this. [2]
3: Cuddles Help Speech Development
Holding a newborn close is the only way in which they’re able to see your mouth moving. As you cuddle your baby close and begin to talk to them, you’ll notice them start to wiggle their mouth and move their tongue. This is their first attempts at speech! As they grow older, studies have shown, that you’re much more likely to chat away to your little one, encouraging them to speak, when carrying them.
4: Cuddling Means Bonding
Bonding is defined as the process by which a close emotional relationship is developed. While some feel strongly bonded to their baby during pregnancy, for others, bonding occurs more for them after birth and during the first few months. Cuddling your baby close is known to release oxytocin, which in turn promotes both attachment and bonding. It also helps to reduce anxiety. “Although the causes of initial onset are unclear, postpartum anxiety can be mitigated by recent contact with infants.” Cuddling your baby feels good, and makes a long-lasting impact on your relationship.
5: Cuddles Help With Breastfeeding
Mums who carry their babies for just one hour each day breastfeed for longer and also breastfeed their babies more frequently.[3] This may not sound like a benefit at first glance, but actually, when you consider the wonders that breastfeeding does for both mother and child it all makes sense.
The NHS says: “Any amount of breast milk has a positive effect. The longer you breastfeed, the longer the protection lasts and the greater the benefits.
NHS
Breastfeeding reduces your baby’s risk of: infections, diarrhoea and vomiting, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), childhood leukaemia, type 2 diabetes obesity, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
Breastfeeding and making breast milk also has health benefits for you. The more you breastfeed, the greater the benefits.
Breastfeeding lowers your risk of: breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and obesity.”[4]
And so now it becomes clearer why carrying causing breastfeeding for longer and more frequently is an amazing thing!
Learn more about how carrying can support breastfeeding mothers on our blog.
6: It Builds a Happy Brain
We love this poster that Dr. Rosie Knowles made showing some incredible benefits of cuddling your baby close and still find it incredible that cuddling and responsiveness can help build a happy brain.
If you’d like to learn even more, follow this link to Dr.Rosie Knowles site. Where she goes into greater depth on how to build a happy brain for your infant.
7: Cuddles Build Independence and Resilience
Being responsive to your baby when they’re young has a long-lasting impact. By having their needs met, babies feel reassured that they can bravely explore the world, knowing they can return to your safe haven if the need arises. It encourages them to be trusting and resilient as they grow. Karen Stevens writes, “Children with secure attachments are more optimistic toward life and more resilient despite hardship”. What an incredible gift we can give out children by cuddling them in, and meeting their needs when they’re wee. [5]
And finally – What is Oxytocin?
You may have seen oxytocin mentioned before, as it has a role not just in cuddling and bonding but also in labour too. In fact oxytocin literally means ‘quick birth’ in the Greek. Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by the pituitary gland in response to a certain stimulus; one of these being cuddling. This incredible hormone is still being researched as it impacts many things that we’re still grasping, but what we know for sure is that it is key in both birth, breastfeeding, and bonding with your little one.
Conclusion
The best thing about the cuddle for baby technique is that it’s not just for newborn babies. You can use it to help your baby sleep through the night, reduce crying, increase bonding and give a boost of love and attention. It’s something that you can do every day with your child as they grow older too!