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LOVE That Baby!
12 Tips to a Show Love to Baby and Yourself
By I.J. Schecter
Ogle.
No one will need to convince you to stare at your baby – you may find it hard to do anything else – but recognize also that this isn't just your favorite activity; it's hers, too. There's nothing an infant likes better than Mommy or Daddy's face, so don't feel pressured to have a mini-department store of mobiles, rattles, soft toys and teddy bears the moment she arrives home from the hospital. Your willingness to act goofy and say, "Who's the little girl? Who is she?" in a nice high register is all she needs.
Venture out.
Babies don't want protection from the outside world; they want to experience it. It can be easy to convince yourself a baby should be kept inside for the first several months of her life, but that isn't going to help him or you. Get outside. Take walks. Share with him the rush of fresh air and the beauty of nature. He'll spend enough time in the house.
Vary the routine.
On one hand, babies thrive on routine. More than one expert, for example, endorses the value of repeating the same steps prior to bedtime to encourage successful sleep habits. On the other hand, it can be easy to get into an accidental rut when caring for a newborn. If you do all the same things at the same time every day, not only will you get bored, your baby will, too. Instead, aim for an overall schedule that includes plenty of options while containing certain mini-routines from which you rarely deviate, like the aforementioned bedtime procedure. This way she'll respond well to established cues but be delighted by the changes.
Vent.
Of course you'll adore your baby, but newborns are still a handful. You'll have those moments ("Why are you still crying?!"). Everybody does. Whenever you feel especially frustrated or confined or tired or worn down, talk about it with someone you know will listen: a friend, your mom, your spouse. Just don't bottle it in.
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