Bonding is the feeling that makes you shower your baby with love and affection. Some dads feel bonded towards their babies within just a few minutes or days of birth, but it may take some more time for others- that’s perfectly normal. After all, a brand new little human has just landed in your lap! You may be helping your partner to recover from birth, and you probably haven’t slept for more than a couple of hours at a time. Be easy on yourself, and know that bond will develop before long.

The bond between a dad and child strengthens over time through everyday caregiving. There is no such magic formula, but a few things can help out:

• You can talk and sing to your baby, with your eyes looking into your baby’s eyes.
• Play with your baby, as newborns enjoy playtime as older babies. Your playing style may be different from your partner’s style, but that’s completely okay.
• Read to your baby regularly.
• You can have skin-to-skin cuddle time. Human touch is soothing both for you and your baby.
• You can mirror your baby’s movements, as these are the first step towards communication.
• Talk to your baby regularly. At the first glance, it may appear as if you are talking to yourself, but with time it will appear natural.
• When your partner is breastfeeding your baby, you can take some of the other feeding activities like burping the baby, playing with them, and singing to the bay, which will help you bond more with your child and your partner can also get some rest.

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