Close and loving relationships with your baby – growing their brain

In pregnancy your baby’s brain is growing very quickly – you can help this growth. Please see the BBC Tiny Happy People post: Talking to your bump – what are the benefits? which looks at how talking to your baby bump and making sounds during pregnancy can help with your baby’s brain development before birth.

Communicating with your baby before they are born will help you to develop a close and loving relationship and understand and respond to their needs.

You can start connecting with your unborn baby by:

• Talking to your baby and thinking about how they are growing and changing in the womb.
• Responding to your baby’s kicks with a stroke or a gentle push to see if your baby responds.
• Encouraging a lovely conversation between Dad and baby or sibling and baby – singing is a great way to connect with unborn babies.

Remember, your baby can see light towards the end of pregnancy and will remember certain sounds.

When your baby has arrived and building close and loving relationships – help your baby feel secure and help their brain to grow:

The Importance of relationship building video by Baby Friendly shows why it is so important to develop close and loving relationships with your baby from birth.

Keeping your baby close and having your baby in skin contact with your skin in the early days and beyond, will help to calm your baby, help develop their immune system, support breastfeeding and your baby will feel secure and contented.

The Building a Happy Baby leaflet from Baby Friendly will support you with using your instinct when caring for your baby, dispelling myths about baby care.

The Start for Life, Early Learning and Development webpage is also a great resource.