131: How to Interact With a Newborn – Why is it Important to Talk to Your Baby

Disclaimer – This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please contact a medical practitioner if you are concerned and have any medical issue.

Not surprisingly I’ve learnt many ways how to interact with a newborn after working with babies and infants over many years as a childcare educator. It has been my observation that a lot of parents do not know how to interact with a newborn and communicate with their little one, prior to them beginning to speak.

Pediatricians and other professionals emphasize the importance of how to interact with a newborn and the amazing benefits that result from interacting with a newborn, including their brain development, social skills, and improved cognitive development. However, what is often lacking is actually instructing parents how to interact with a newborn and actually explaining to them why it is so important.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of my baby massage training is showing parents how to read their baby’s cues and get an understanding of their non-verbal communication. An essential part of my training, which is extremely important, is in showing parents how to talk and communicate with their little one and touch them in a positive, loving way.

In this week’s episode you’ll hear me talking about why talking and communicating and touch are so important and valuable for both you and your baby. Perhaps this is even more relevant as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, which for many has been a time of increased isolation, caution and worry. I can’t help wondering about the start in life that babies born during this time will have experienced.

During this episode, you’ll hear me talk about:-

• How you can encourage your child towards developing literacy and communication as soon as they are born.
• Why baby babbling is the key to early speech skills and how you can help encourage it more.
• Why you should avoid using baby talk and communicate with your baby in a similar way to how you do with other adults and friends.

And so, so much more.

Links to the Two Episodes Mentioned

During the episode I mentioned the following two First Time Mum’s Chat episodes. Please click on the links below to visit these episode pages and to listen to the episodes.

1. Language Development in Early Childhood – Actionable Tips to Help With Their Speech Development – with Jill Urbane.
2. How to Bath a Newborn Who Hates Bathtime.

Read Episode Transcript Here

Introduction to Baby Massage

Find out about the wonderful world of baby massage and the many ways it can help you and your little one in this 17 minute video presentation.