7 Ways New Dads Can Get More Involved With Their Baby

I always love being able to provide advice to new parents but it can be hard to help new dads since I’m a mom. So I enlisted the help of Mo Mulla from www.ParentalQuestions.com to give advice from a Dad’s point of view on how to get more involved with your new baby. Don’t forget that having newborn photos taken is a great way to show off your bond from the very beginning!

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Being a New Dad is challenging. Everything revolves around the new baby and mummy, especially when the baby is firstborn. It can lead to some dads feeling unproductive or even marginalized.

Nevertheless, there are helpful ways for any new dad to get involved, help out and create an acknowledged break for mummy.

It’s important to remember that your role as a new daddy is still very important and the more you get involved the better it will be for the entire family.

7 Ways New Dads Can Get More Involved With Their Baby!

1. Form A Bond Fast

Newborns are stimulated considerably by touch. An excellent way to form an immediate and lasting bond with your new baby is skin to skin contact. Remember, this doesn’t need to be difficult or burdensome.

Find a snug and relaxing place at home, remove your shirt, and place your baby right on top of your beating heart. The best position is one that allows them to feel and hear your heart beating. This will be a very natural beat as they have heard it repeatedly from the womb. It will also help to ease and soothe your baby directly.

2. Night Shift is Yours!

One of the most effective things you can do to help out is to sacrifice some sleep. Newborns take up an unbelievable amount of mummy’s energy. Usually, by the end of the day, she will be extremely tired and exhausted.

Try to support her by being available in the night to help out with all things baby related. That could be, feeding, diaper changing or settling the baby. The dreaded “Graveyard shift” (12am – 4am) is usually the most challenging, but if you can find the energy to take over it won’t go unnoticed.

Remember, emotions can be heightened with a decrease in sleep. By giving mummy more time to sleep you will be worth your weight in gold! (Trust me)

3. Diaper Obligations

One powerful way for daddy to feel valuable is to do get more involved with diaper duties. Although this isn’t always a pleasant task, it still needs to be done. It’s also not shocking that most new daddies tend to shy away from it.

Try to see it as individual bonding time for you and your new baby. Singing a nursery rhyme or a popular song is the perfect way to bond with baby while you take care of “business”

Changing diapers doesn’t have to be a constant strain and the more you do it the better you’ll get at it.

4. Get a Baby Carrier

A smart way to balance baby duties is to get a durable and purpose-built baby carrier. This will help you to facilitate everyday household duties and simultaneously help out with bonding. 

Remember to ensure that the baby carrier is fit for your baby’s age and that you have all the straps and harness exactly in place.

The more you use it, the easier it will become and this will help you to be practical at home, increase your bonding time with the new baby and give your wife more time off! (win-win-win)

5. Baby Massage

The best part about being a new dad is getting to do the fun stuff. Massaging your new baby is a relaxing task that has useful results for both of you.

Newborns are stimulated considerably by touch and massaging baby stimulates the central nervous system, which triggers serotonin (that’s the feel-good hormone)

Moreover, you will be helping the baby’s brain to develop, which helps support them to reach developmental milestones faster.

6. Be a Fun Dad

Too many dads overthink the concept of fun. Babies are entertained by almost anything and as newborns, they just need to be excited and engaged with regular communication, touch and contact.

For the first few weeks, your newborn will probably not respond much to the things you do, so it can be a bit scary at first. But if you stick to it, the hard work will eventually pay off.

The first time you pull a silly face or do you best “Bugsy Bunny” Impression and they smile back, it will be worth it.

7. Bath Time Play

Bathing your newborn can be one of the most exciting activities you ever do. It’s so fascinating to watch them kick, splash and play in the water all by themselves. It’s a very rewarded duty and the best part is it still counts as “helping out”.

Pick up some bath toys, a bath mat, and any other bath essentials (like a baby thermometer) to ensure bath time is full of laughter but is also safe. 

Remember, getting more involved with your new baby shouldn’t be a struggle. It can be the most rewarding time in your life to bond with a new baby and that bond will strengthen as they get older. 

Never be scared to ask for help and practice always make perfect!

Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music. He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time! You can find his parenting blog here: www.ParentalQuestions.com.