Bonding with dad

Hey Sarah - if baby is breastfed, dad can eye gaze with baby over your shoulder while you feed to establish connection. You can also put some breastmilk on dad’s clothes so he smells familiar to baby. If bottle fed, dad can do the feeds to encourage bonding and connection as well. Dad can bond when baby is awake by talking to baby and singing songs etc. Also might be worth trying a sling / baby carrier on dad as opposed to just him holding baby on his chest… hope that helps :)

It might not sound glamorous but changing bub can be fun (for the baby at least). Hubby does more nappies than I do most of the time (4 kids now) and he always sings to newborns while doing it. Same with bath/ shower time. And like my eldest likes to remind me... I'm mostly the food delivery service 🙄🫠 When food isn't the priority for bub, the other parent often becomes someone they want more. They might even become the favourite parent.

my baby has gotten used to getting his diaper changed by his daddy! my husband does all the diapers when he’s home from work & has created a beautiful bond with baby. at this point, baby expects to see daddy when he does his business. it’s a beautiful thing to watch! 🥰

A good friend of mine who has had 7 kids once said something to my partner who was feeling the same thing..she said don’t be discouraged because now is the mamas time, for baby and mama to make that bond, but soon will be dads time, with the giggling and playing. We each have our strengths in our relationship with our babies, sometimes it can be harder for dads in the newborn stage, and it’s completely normal. Maybe he can wear baby around the house or on a walk whenever she’s at peace and not needing you? Reading to her so she’s drawn to his voice.. giving her a bottle for bed if that’s something you do

Thank you so much for the great ideas, we're gonna try a few of these. He's already been feeding her a bottle of expressed milk most days when I get enough let down! Really appreciate all your advice and help!