The Power of Touch: Fostering Meaningful Connection with Your Infant
Dec 18, 2020
Touching your baby is a great way to create a sense of bonding. Here are some benefits, and tips, of touching your baby.
Amanda Dyer, MS OTR/L, CIMI
Is your baby fussy, seemingly for no reason? Gas and colic wearing you out? Try touching them! The skin is the largest organ of the body. Studies have shown that sensation, or feeling, is the first sense to develop in the womb. Touch has been shown to be the most important component in bonding between humans, more powerful than verbal communication and eye contact. Touch is the most effective way to communicate compassion, according to a study by the University of Berkeley.
Benefits of Touching Your Baby
- Touching your baby can help them to relax, which helps your baby to trust you and be comforted by your presence
- Promotes weight gain- infants in the NICU receiving nurturing touch have been shown to gain more weight than infants with less physical interactions
- Touching your baby has benefits for the breastfeeding mother, including promoting increased breastmilk production
- Touch promotes the release of hormones that can increase pain relief in infants
- Develops infant’s social and calming skills, allowing them to self soothe because they feel loved and secure.
- Can improve digestion and toileting through promoting increased circulation
How to touch your baby:
- Create a quiet environment. Have dim lights, low noise or white noise, and a warm room.
Make sure you create a quiet environment before touching your baby.
- Skin to skin activities-You can take a bath together, complete tummy time on parents chest, or hold your child with their cheek touching your cheek.
- After bath massage- Use lotion or a safe oil for a post-bath rub- start at baby’s shoulder and gently run your hand down to their hand, or start at their hip down to their foot.
After bath massages are a great way to promote touch!
- Before touching them, let baby know you are about to- show them your open hands before making contact.
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School’s out for summer! Now what? Not sure what to do with your kiddos for the next two months? Both Richmond and Berea Parks and Recreation have filled their calendars with events that are both family-friendly and FUN! Here are just some of the options available to you! In Richmond 4th of July Celebration: Richmond’s annual 4th of July Celebration will be held at Lake Reba Park on Tuesday, July 4th! Here is a schedule of events for the day! Live Music: Tyler Hood at 5:00 PM Allnuts4Music at 6:00 PM Rock of Ages at 8:00 PM Paradise Cove Free Swim: 4:00PM - 7:00PM Free Adventure Falls Mini Golf: 4:00PM - 10:00PM Food Trucks, Beer & Wine Vendors, and Inflatables: Open at 5:00PM Fireworks: 10:00PM Movies in the Park: Movies in the Park will resume this month at Irvine McDowell Park! Movies begin at dark, and there will be vendors for snacks and beverages at each! June 23rd, 2023: Sweet Home Alabama July 28th, 2023: Dirty Dancing Paradise Cove Free Swim: Hang out and swim at Paradise Cove for FREE! Free swim lasts from 4:00PM to 7:00PM and is the perfect family outing! June 30th, 2023 July 21st, 2023 Check out the Richmond Parks and Recreation website HERE for more information on these events plus a calendar filled with even more family fun! In BErea Family Swim Nights: The Berea Swimming Pool has three remaining dates for family swim! Mark your calendars for a FREE night of fun! All dates are from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. June 20th July 11th July 25th Dive in Movies: There is no better way to enjoy a warm summer night than swimming AND a movie! Berea Parks and Recreation is hosting free movie events at the Berea swimming pool. Check out the dates and movie choices below! June 16th: “Super Pets” July 21st: Movie TBD Check out the Berea Parks and Recreation website HERE for more information on their summer calendar and pool! Be sure to take advantage of these awesome events to beat the heat and spend some quality time with your family and friends! We can’t wait to see you there!
By: Martina Henderson
Berea Location
Berea, KY 40403
Tel:
(859) 353-3666
Fax: (859) 448-7077
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Richmond KY 40475
Tel:
(859) 353-3666
Fax: (859) 448-7077
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