activities to do with newborn - 2 week old

stabil19

I need some variety besides singing and talking to my daughter.  I also try to give her a massage and play bicycle to relieve gas.  We have a bouncy seat and swing she loves, but only for short periods. 

Do any of you have any fun activities you do with your newborn?

TIA!!

Jelliebean1982

Honestly, just look at each other. It may be insanely boring to you but it's not to your NB.

ohfour

Newborns don't need much stim.....everything around is new to them!

jgoetz1

My favorite thing to do is to look at her too and just rub her skin.  I have tried reading books to her but she sleeps through them.  haha

alison2379

My PP doula introduced the fact to me that babies at this age love black and white prints. That's all they can see. My baby is fascinated by the tropical print on my nursing cover.

HappyAardvark

Faces and black/white or high -contrast images are fascinating to new babies.

jonnygurl76

HappyAardvark:

Faces and black/white or high -contrast images are fascinating to new babies.

this!!  and our pedi told us it is never too early for tummy time, just a few minutes twice a day.  we started at 5 days with DD and i will start with DS as soon as his circ. is healed. 

nybride10

i've been wondering the same thing. i feel like i don't play with him enough. I make faces at him, play with his feet, he grasp my fingers, swing time, tummy time on mommy, sing to him, smile. 

iteachk

I read to her - she loves to look at the pictures!

ohfour

HappyAardvark:

Faces and black/white or high -contrast images are fascinating to new babies.

We have a b/w picture frame collage on the wall in our living room with pictures of our family and Lucy stares at it all the time

cnlee1983

Talk to your newborn/infant. Even if it is just reciting what you are doing "Now we'll go into the kitchen and get some juice for Mommy" etc. . . Never too early to start reinforcing those synapses and acquiring language.

StefandTodd

Do you have an iPad?  There's an app called BabyVision that is high contrast black and white images that switch every 20 seconds or so.  My LO loved that from only a few days old...and he still does.

mvhyde

I can't remember when I started each thing but here are things I do now that I think I have been doing for a while, you mentioned some already

1) Baby massage, usually just 2-3 mins after diaper changes. Nothing fancy just rubbing lotion repeatedly on arms and legs and rotating feet at the ankles

2) Bicycling legs and pretend walking, running and kicking - baby had major gas pains so this helped

3) The book I Love You Through and Through - he loved this book more than others, he liked the baby face

4) Nakey time on cloth diaper on top of a receiving blanket on top of a diaper changing pad, he liked this even when he got fussy lying on his back. Perhaps he like the sensation of air on his bottom.

5) Skin to skin time, lying baby with only a diaper on on my chest with only a bra on (I liked this because I am lazy and baby enjoyed it).

6) Walk around the block with baby in baby carrier. I finally bought a stroller 3 weeks ago so now we take more stroller walks

7) Making faces at baby, big smiles, sticking my tongue out and moving it left to right (only now at ~10 weeks is he responding to it)

8) Tummy time with a rattle in front of his face

9) Boppy time (tummy time on boppy, not as annoying to baby)

10) Singing with actions and interaction (Itsy Bitsy spider; This Little Piggie; Head Shoulders, Kness and Toes; Twinkle Twinkle; Hickory Dickory Dock; Horsey Horsey etc)

11) Moving brightly colored toy in an arc in front of his face

12) Looking at mirror (again only has he recently been interested)

Have fun!!!