Communicating With Your Baby in the First Six Months

By Jamell Andrews

During the first six months of a child�s life, parents gothrough virtually every conceivable emotion, from elation, to frustration, tohope, to terror. But there is one that stands above all the rest: The pureelation you feel when you begin to truly communicate with their little one.During the very early weeks of the baby�s life, parents are busy taking care ofall the baby�s needs, but it is not until a little later that the back-and-forth,loving communication becomes tangible. And when this happens, it is one of thehighlights of any parent�s life.

For first-time parents, it can be difficult to know exactlywhat to expect from a child during the first six months. Every child is different.Plus, new parents who have limited experience with infants often imagine thatback-and-forth communication begins immediately after birth. Many are surprisedto discover that a newborn cannot make eye contact and barely responds tostimuli. This phase is short-lived, however, and the magic of parent-childcommunication comes soon.

The first three months

Of course, newborn babies do communicate, as new parentsquickly learn. Newborns cry for several reasons, including hunger, sleepiness,hot, cold, stomachache, and discomfort. And while the crying tends to be rathersubdued right after birth, it tends to pick up after a couple of days-usuallyright around the time baby comes from the hospital. From this point, the baby�scommunication is steady crescendo of crying that usually peaks after two orthree months. For many parents this is the period of greatest frustration andlost sleep. But it passes.

The second month is when the magic really begins. That iswhen you can expect to see your child smile for the first time, and if you arelucky she may even begin to smile in response to you. Around the same time, thebaby will begin to make non-crying vocalizations. By the third month thesevocalizations will become recognizable speechlike sounds (lots of �boos,��goos,� �ha�s�), and soon she will begin to make these sounds in response toyour speech. Meanwhile, she will no longer have trouble making eye contact withyou.

During this time, the best thing to do is follow your baby�slead. Whenever the baby is in the mood to smile and baby talk, go along withher. Get close, make eye contact (she will see you best if you place your face1-2 feet from hers), and talk to her. You can say real words to her, sing hersongs, or even imitate her vocalizations. The key is to make it a communicativeactivity. When she is in the mood, she will love it.

The second three months

If you thought those first smiles and early baby talk wereexciting, wait until you experience what happens next. Around the fourth month,you can expect your baby�s first laugh. Younger babies often make laugh-likesounds, but these sounds are generally not in response to anything inparticular. In these later months, however, your baby will begin to laugh atthings you do. And when he is in the mood to be entertained, it is your job tobe the entertainer. Let go of your inhibitions and figure out what makes himhappy. You may sometimes feel you are making a fool of yourself, but it isworth it.

The other exciting development in these months is that yourchild will begin to understand speech a little better. He will not be able tounderstand sentences or make words himself, but he will definitely learn hisname along with a few basic words. Meanwhile, his own vocalizations will beginto sound more like real speech. Do not expect real words, though. That willtake another year or so.

You can help by continuing your conversations with yourbaby. Again, these can involve real words, baby talk, or even songs. Supplementthe speech learning with books. He may not be very engaged with them, but hewill enjoy your voice, and the activity will get him used to hearing a varietyof words. Outside your reading, though, it is best to keep speech simple. Speakwith simple words and sentences, and be sure to enunciate everything clearly.This will help your baby get a grasp on speech a little more quickly.

Jamell Andrews is an accomplished writer who believes in thepower of homeopathicmedicine. She is a regular contributor to BabyCare Journals.