Do I need to interact with my newborn all the time?

Do babies need time alone? You can play and interact with your baby as often as you want. After all, you’re her favorite companion. That said, babies need time on their own, too, so they can gradually start to understand that they’re independent from you.

Can you give a newborn too much attention?

Young babies need lots of attention, and you might worry – or other people might tell you – that if you ‘give in’ too often or give too much attention, it will ‘spoil’ your baby. But this won’t happen. In the first few months you won’t create bad habits by responding to your baby’s needs.

How much playtime should a newborn have?

Newborn play might just be a quiet cuddle or some time stretching out and kicking on a blanket. You might find about 10-20 minutes of play is enough. Some newborn babies get tired after being awake for about 1-1½ hours. Some newborns are happy to play for longer than this.

What do you do with a newborn when they are awake?

Smile, stick out your tongue, and make other expressions for your infant to study, learn, and imitate. Use a favorite toy for your newborn to focus on and follow, or shake a rattle for your infant to find. Let your baby spend some awake time on his or her tummy to help strengthen the neck and shoulders.

Should I keep my newborn awake during the day?

Newborns should only be awake for 1.5 to 2 hours at a time during the day, but make sure that she plays during the day. Sing to her, play with her, talk with her and show her around her new environment. Rather than forcing her to stay awake, provide stimulation so she won’t want to go to sleep.

Is it bad to hold baby all the time?

You can’t spoil a baby. Contrary to popular myth, it’s impossible for parents to hold or respond to a baby too much, child development experts say. Infants need constant attention to give them the foundation to grow emotionally, physically and intellectually.

Should I let my newborn sleep on my chest?

While having a baby sleep on mother’s (or father’s) chest whilst parents are awake has not been shown to be a risk, and such close contact is in fact beneficial, sleeping a baby on their front when unsupervised gives rise to a greatly increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) also known as cot death.