Becoming a parent is full of new and unexpected experiences.
You may have some challenging parenting moments, but being a dad can also be a lot of fun as you and your baby get to know each other.
Recent research into dad and baby bonding reported that babies may be more likely to develop strong, secure attachment to their dads when they’ve had a lot of one-on-one time together since birth.
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Bonding with your baby
Working on a stronger bond with your baby
You may be wondering about how to bond with your baby and worry about getting it right. If you feel like you don’t know where to start, it’s good to remember that being with your baby, simply spending time together is all your baby needs to feel safe and loved.
To get you started, we’ve assembled a few practical tips for dad and baby bonding time.
Activities that help you connect with your baby during pregnancy and in the first year after birth can help you stress less and develop confidence in your parenting skills early on.
“You’ve got to make time to spend with your baby. All you need to do is be present, and then unexpected magical things can happen.”
Bonding during pregnancy
Dad and baby bonding during pregnancy
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Talk
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Touch
Bonding with your newborn
Bonding with your newborn
It’s good if you can get involved in the daily care of your baby from day one.
All these infant care activities can increase your skills and confidence as a new Dad. They also provide lots of opportunities for you to build your relationship with your baby:
- bathing
- dressing
- massage
- nappy changes
- umbilical care
- settling to sleep
Parenting skills take practice, so getting in and having a go is the most important thing.
The Raising Children Network website has lots of simple, easy to follow instructions on practical daily care activities from holding your baby to changing a nappy and bathing a newborn.
It’s great if your partner can take a break from parenting each day and go out, because you’ll both need some time out to recharge and relax. Regularly tag-teaming parenting duties also gives you plenty of opportunities to have some special dad and baby one-on-one time together.
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Bonding through your bubs sleep routine
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Bonding through affection and attention
“I was lucky enough to get the first laugh – I’d never felt like that, can’t even explain how good that feels as a dad.”
Some dad jokes to get you started
Now you’re officially a dad, it’s time to have a few ‘dad jokes’ up your sleeves. As old as time, these jokes are about being playful, silly and being yourself. We may groan, and roll our eyes, but deep down we all love a dad joke.
Did you know that your baby loves dad jokes? They love to hear your voice and also hear you laugh. That includes while they are still growing in the womb. You can also test these jokes out on your partner and see if you can make them giggle or lighten the mood if they’ve had a bad day.
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Jokes to make your bub laugh
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Mental health checklist
How are you going?
Everyone’s experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting is unique and brings different rewards and challenges. Our mental health checklist can help you to see if what you’re experiencing or observing in a loved one could be reason to seek help.
PANDA National Helpline
Find someone to talk to, Monday to Saturday.
1300 726 306
Call 000 for police and ambulance if you or someone else are in immediate danger
Talk with friends or family
Consider talking about how you are feeling with someone you trust. This might be a friend or family member. Once you starting talking you might be surprised at how many others have had similar experiences and the support they can provide you.
Talk with your doctor
Talking with your doctor can be an important step to getting the help you need. They should be able to give you non-judgemental support, assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care and treatment. They can also refer you to specialists such as a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
Get help now
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are feeling disorientated it’s important to get help immediately. PANDA is not a crisis service, if you need immediate support call Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7).
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