What fosters attachment with your baby?

Newborns

• Ideally, a birth without unnecessary interventions or a family-centered cesarean birth without separation of baby and parents
• ​A birth doula to help you during your birth
• Skin to skin contact with mother soon after birth, assuming mother and baby are both transitioning well
• Skin to skin contact with father, especially if mother needs additional medical care directly after birth and cannot hold baby right away
• Breastfeeding or paced bottle feeding with baby held in the caregiver's arms for feedings​
• Observing and responding to baby's cues
• Close proximity for sleeping, as appropriate for each unique family and baby
• ​Babywearing
• Newborn Massage
• ​Support for parents

This mother is enjoying "wearing" her infant in a sling

Infants

• Observing and responsing to baby's cues
• ​Breastfeeding or paced bottle feeding with baby held in the caregiver's arms for feedings
• ​Babywearing
• Continued proximity for sleeping, as appropriate for each unique family and baby
• ​Infant Massage
• Baby Sign Language
• Making sure parents have adequate time to rest and recharge in order to continue to enjoy their relationship with their baby -- a good support system

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Want to get a strong start with your new baby?
Infant Attachment Specialists from St. Croix Birth & Parenting can help!

We can help you navigate your unique journey to parenthood through:

• Education to help you learn these techniques and skills, at your pace
• Guidance to answer your questions and help get you on the right track, as you put new skills into practice
• Support and Encouragement -- we want you to develop a strong, loving bond with your new baby

Premature Babies

"Painting" the inside of her preemie's mouth with mother's milk helps baby develop antibodies to infection, and can help the mother appreciate her importance to her baby

For babies in an isolette:

• Brushing the inside of baby's mouth with expressed mother's milk (when allowed by medical staff)
• Comforting touch
• Giving baby opportunities to hold your finger
• Viewing baby by camera, remotely, when separated (where provided by the medical facility)
• Lots of support for parents, both practical and emotional

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If your hospitalized baby is not in an isolette:​​

• Caring eye contact
• Gentle words and soft singing
• Skin to skin contact
• Kangaroo Care
• Breastfeeding, when possible
• ​Breast Nurturing if breastfeeding is not yet established
• Paced bottle feeding, if breastfeeding is not yet established
• Viewing baby remotely when separated (where provided by the medical facility)
• ​Lots of support for parents, both practical and emotional

Fathers need to form loving bonds with their babies too! Most of these attachment tools can be used by fathers, grandparents, siblings, and other loved ones, as well as mothers.