Sensory stimuli for your baby

For a small baby, the world is a fascinating place full of colors, sounds, shapes and smells which are all new and intriguing.

For the first couple of months, although her hearing is fully developed, your baby won’t be able to grasp any toys or focus on anything further than eight to 10 inches away, so you’ll need to choose things that are accessible to her. These will generally be things that she can either look at or listen to.

Baby gyms

A baby gym is a good investment for new babies. Essentially a play mat with various sensory toys suspended from a soft overhead bar, or set at eye-level, baby gyms are equipped with age-appropriate stimuli to help your baby’s development and provide her with a safe and interesting environment. As your baby’s motor skills develop, she’ll start to bat at her favorite toys with her hands and kick them with her feet. Colorful play mats will also occupy your baby while she has some supervised tummy time, something experts recommend she has for a few minutes at a time once or twice a day.

Listening

Your baby’s hearing is fully developed at birth – in fact, it’s far more acute than an adult’s. You may want to try experimenting with a selection of gentle lullabies and rhythmic nursery rhymes, or slow and energetic classical music, to see what she responds to. Try fitting a musical mobile above her crib or changing table (keep it out of her reach for safety and remove it once she can sit up).

If you feel self-conscious about singing to your baby why not invest in a nursery rhyme CD you can sing along to? It’ll also remind you of the words to nursery rhymes you may not know – something that comes in useful once you start to go to mom and baby sessions!

Even small babies love listening to voices – and their mom’s voice in particular. Talk to your baby as you go about your day together – explain where you are, what’s going on, and who you’re with. It’s never too early to start reading to your baby. Older babies who can sit up and focus on books will love being read to and looking at the pictures. Interactive touch-and-feel books engage children from an early stage, and books with buttons your child can press to make noises will be a big hit too.

Communicating with your baby is essential in the early days and will provide her with just as much stimuli as play mats and mobiles. Communicating with her at this stage is a matter of responding to your baby's needs. A newborn baby can’t be spoiled with too much attention, so be prompt when she cries so she can be secure in knowing you’re there for her. At first it can seem frustrating trying to work out why your baby is crying but with small babies, unless they’re ill, it can only be a number of things such as hunger, tiredness, wind or even boredom. Some babies are comforted by a rocking motion or settle quickly once they’re in your arms and close to you. Some babies are soothed by white noise: the hum of a vacuum cleaner, or a radio on static.

Looking

Small babies can distinguish high-contrast colors, such as black and white, better than similar tones, so toys with patterns and shapes in high-contrast colors will grab their attention first. Small babies are also fascinated by human faces and will gaze back at you in wonder! They’re fascinated by their own reflection in a mirror, so try placing an unbreakable mirror at eye level on your baby’s play mat or changing table.

Overstimulation

The world can be a fascinating place for newborn babies, but it can also be overwhelming. New sights, sounds, smells and relatives cooing over them are a stark contrast to the peaceful world of the uterus. Some babies can handle new experiences well, but others will get overstimulated, which can result in crying sessions during the early evening. Avoid loud environments and bright lights if your baby seems to have had enough – lay her in her crib so she can relax. If you’re going out, carry her in her sling so she’s shielded from prying eyes and brightness; or drape a muslin over her stroller canopy so she can have some quiet time if she needs it (make sure it can’t fall on her and hinder her breathing).

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.