Ways Daddy Can Help Mummy with Baby

When you first bring home your newborn, it can be difficult to know exactly how to help. Many dads are looking for ways to be more involved with helping mum and in raising the baby. Luckily there are lots of ways fathers can bond with the new baby, while also making themselves useful to mum.

From sharing the load at night to downloading the Pampers Club App to make the most of nappy purchases, there are so many little things you can do now that you're a dad.

Bond with Your Baby During Bottle Feeds

Many dads feel they can't bond as easily with the baby in the first few months, because mum spends more time with the baby while nursing and the rest of the time your baby is busy snoozing. But there is still a lot you can do. When you feed your baby with the bottle (for example if your baby is formula-fed, or if mum has collected breast milk with a pump so she can be bottle-fed from time-to-time), hold her close and as you cuddle her, let your baby gaze up into your eyes. This helps forge a strong connection between the two of you.

Share the Load at Night

Mum will be feeling exhausted from the late night feeds, but if the baby cries in between feeds, take the lead by settling your baby so your partner can rest then. You can soothe your baby by walking around with her, rocking her, singing to her, or giving her a pacifier.

Hang Out With Your Baby

Spend plenty of one-on-one time with your baby. You'll be relieved to know, your baby loves playing just as much as you do. Play peek-a-boo with her, make silly faces at her, take her for walks, enjoy seeing her develop with short tummy-time sessions, massage her. After a few months, you'll notice your baby will react with big happy smiles, because she loves hanging out with you so much. Pepper your time together with lots of cuddles and kisses. Every single one of these shared experience will help you bond with your baby.

Get On-Board With Nappy Time

Many mums start learning how to change nappies during prenatal classes or at the hospital, so they often get lots of practice early on. But that doesn't mean you can't be a super nappy changer as well. Whenever you can, take on the nappy change, soon you'll be great at it too. (And mum will love you for it.)

Be a Part of Bedtime

You might feel just as exhausted as mum and baby by the end of the day, but you can bond with your baby while establishing a bedtime routine. Together with mum, give her a bath each night, pop her sleepsuit on, read her a bedtime story, and, once her teeth appear, make brushing part of the routine, too.

Give Your Partner a Helping Hand

Mum has a lot on her plate, help her in any way you can whether it's with doing the shopping, doing chores around the house, dashing to the pharmacy to pick up medicines, or scheduling the medical check-ups. She's settling into the role of being a new mum too, and this thoughtfulness will help the family get through this tricky period.

You might feel overwhelmed, or that you're “not good at this”, but keep going. Bonding with your baby takes little bits of effort every chance you get. Your baby is new at this too, so she's not judging you. Plus, you are your partner's teammate in this – so you're both in this together. Soon, you'll be an experienced dad, and you'll be passing on your knowledge to other dads.