Coming home from childbirth and taking your baby home is a moment that many people visualise during pregnancy. A new chapter is now beginning and everyday life will largely consist of adapting to your new life. But how do you really get to know your little new addition? We will tell you in this article!

Getting to know your newborn baby is largely about being sensitive to its needs. Before you learn to hear the difference between different sounds or recognise your baby’s behaviour patterns, this can be tough. But it will take time, and it must be allowed to develop naturally. Just keep in mind that it will get easier the further into the relationship you both get!

As well as being able to interpret your child’s needs, you must have a sense of how babies communicate. They do it through their senses, just like adults, but in slightly different ways. We explain how below!

The sense of touch is fully developed from birth and it is shown strongly in the baby’s need for closeness. Babies love to be carried and rocked because that’s what it feels like to be in the womb. It’s also cramped and cosy! So a lot of the time, an unhappy baby may just be a baby who needs someone to be close to them. And that’s exactly what babies get from skin-to-skin contact. As well as rocking in your arms (please use a baby carrier or baby wrap!), closeness can come in the form of a massage or spending extra time getting dressed and undressed, but also by being tucked into a cozy place such as their buggy.

The sense of sight, on the other hand, is the least developed sense in newborns. They can only see at a distance of about 20 centimeters at first, but the best thing young children know is to look at faces. By being close and having eye contact, your baby can study your face. This creates a sense of closeness and togetherness.

Even if your baby doesn’t understand what you’re saying, by talking you can give them a sense of togetherness. This is important for your baby! Tell them about what you do and what you see. Maybe you’ll get a small smile in response. At first it may be a reflex, but it may also be a way for your baby to communicate.

Crying is also a way for your baby to communicate. If you pay attention, you will eventually recognise the different types of cries and screams of your baby. The different sounds can, for example, mean hunger, fatigue or a need for closeness. Instinctively, you will know when it is time for food or if your baby is overtired. But as I said: this understanding comes with time! A figure that usually comes up in the early days with babies is that parents guess wrong 50% of the time, so don’t feel stressed if you get the feeling you are guessing incorrectly. You’re not alone!

After a couple of months, you will have probably started to find your rhythm and your child will start to clock more time awake as they start to become more curious about their surroundings. Now you can start playing together on a new level and maybe even laugh together!