For the first few months after an infant is born, it can often seem like mama gets all the attention from the baby. Now, dads shouldn’t take this personally. After all, your baby requires mommy for their most essential needs – food! So, they may naturally prefer their mothers for a while.

This, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t bond with your little one. In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for you to have some one-on-one contact with your infant to ensure that your relationship blossoms. Here is what you can do:

Consider Paternity Leave

Paternity leave is becoming more commonplace, but it is still slow to catch on. Nonetheless, you should definitely consider taking paternity leave, even if it is only for a short time. As you can imagine, it can be rather difficult to bond with your baby if you aren’t actually around!

Even when your paternity leave comes to an end, try to find the time to be around your little one as much as possible. This way, he or she is going to get used to the idea of you being there. As such, they will find it easier to think of you as a primary caregiver.

Have Skin-to-Skin Contact

You may have noticed that babies prefer to be pressed close to their mother’s skin. Babies who have skin-to-skin contact are often more content, ensuring that they may sleep better and even cry less. However, this isn’t something that only mums can do.

This type of contact is actually quite important for dads as well. See, skin-to-skin contact increases the release of oxytocin in the body. This is what is known as the “love” hormone. It is a significant component of the bonding mechanism. Thus, just by being closer to your baby, you could already be creating a powerful bond.

There is also some research that shows that this type of contact can actually help you become a better dad. It may make you more compassionate and allow you to be a little more sensitive in your parenting. So, it is good news all around!

Be There to Soothe Your Baby

Let’s face it, a fussy baby certainly isn’t a lot of fun. Still, if you find that your baby is crying or upset, make sure to try and calm them down. You need to take turns with your partner – don’t let them do this on their own.

See, when you take the opportunity to soothe your little one, you are showing them that you can be a calming and caring influence as well. In time, they will seek you out when they are upset as they will understand that you can provide them with what they need.

And don’t worry if you don’t get the hang of this immediately. It may take some time, but you will definitely get there. All that matters is that your baby will know that they can count on you whenever they need to.

Take Turns with the Feeding

Most mums prefer to breastfeed their babies. While this is good news for the baby, it can mean that dad might feel a little left out at these moments. Well, there is no need for this way any longer. Instead, you can get in on the feedings too.

You can simply feed your little one breast milk out of a bottle. Not sure which one to get? You can get advice from spots such as https://littleonemag.com/best-baby-bottles/. Then, it is just a matter of taking over for mum when necessary.

When feeding your little one, take some tips from mummy. Cuddle your baby close and make sure that his or her head is angled towards you. Gazing into their eyes while they feed can certainly help with the bonding as well.

Create Your Own Routine

It is important for dads to have at least one routine that is all their own with their baby. This could be mealtime, bath time, or bedtime. Regardless, there is at least one task that you should handle all by yourself. Your baby will then recognise these moments as being “yours”.

As mentioned, it is up to you to decide what routine to set up with your little one. The only rule that you should adhere to is to keep things consistent while your baby is still really young. Otherwise, they may not be able to understand the significance of that routine.

It doesn’t have to be all work, either. You can establish some fun routines as well. This could be some kind of class or activity. Or, just something that the two of you do together. The opportunities really are endless here.

Carry Them Around With You

Just because you have a busy life doesn’t mean that you have to leave your baby out of it! No, you should take them with you whenever possible. As mentioned, spending time with your infant is vital. And, the closer that they can be with you when you do so, the better.

The best way to keep your little one around is to invest in a baby carrier. This way, they can be strapped to your chest as you run errands, go for walks, or even do housework! Simply being involved in these activities can often help them to get closer to you. At any rate, they are sure to have quite a bit of fun.

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for you to bond with your baby. Thus, there is no need for you to be relegated to those old-fashioned father roles anymore. Instead, you can make sure that you and your little one have a great relationship from the very beginning.

Of course, you may have a different bond with your baby than he or she has with their mother. This is perfectly fine! The only thing that you should be focused on is taking care of your little one to the best of your abilities. After all, this is the gesture that they will appreciate the most. In turn, this is what will help to create and strengthen the bond between the two of you.