Your baby’s touch and smell

Babies are typically very particular about tastes and smells just as they  prefer certain patterns and sounds .  They will breathe deeply to catch the aroma of breastmilk, banana, sugar and vanilla but will turn up their noses at the smell of alcohol or vinegar.

If you are still nursing , by the end of the first week your baby will turn toward your breast pad but will ignore the nursing pad of other mothers. This helps direct babies at feeding times and  warn  them away from substances that could harm them.

Newborns are equally sensitive to touch and the way you handle them. They will pull away from scratchy burlap or course sandpaper but will nestle into a soft piece of flannel or satin.

When you stroke a baby’s palm gently, she relaxes and become quiet. When  you handle a baby roughly, she will probably cry. If you pick her up slowly and rock her, she will be quiet and attentive.

Holding, cuddling, stroking and cuddling a newborn will calm her when she is upset  and make her  more alert when she  is  drowsy. It also makes the newborn feel loved. Even before your baby can understand words, the way she is touched can tell her parents mood and feelings.