Between birth and two years old, your baby will develop at an extraordinary rate, and each milestone will be a new source of wonder for you. Discover with us the majorstages of theirdevelopment and how to communicate with them to help stimulate their learning.
During the first year, your baby opens up to the world at an incredible pace. Long before they can speak, they communicate with you in countless ways! The interactions you have with them allow for the harmonious development of their personality and define your role as a parent. Discover these very first exchanges with us and learn to interpret their behavior to better meet their needs!
Communication methods of newborns
The initial exchanges The relationship between you and your baby begins well before birth: its sensory capacities in utero They already allow him to feel your caresses, hear your voice, and sense your presence. When he is born, he uses every means at his disposal to make contact with you:
The gaze
From afar, your baby's very first gaze at birth fixes you and pierces you, stirring an emotion that makes you a mother—or a father. It embodies the encounter with the real baby, inevitably different from the baby you imagined during pregnancy. This unique gaze also reflects your baby's prenatal experiences. It allows them to become acquainted with those who provided them with all their well-being for nine months.
Later on, your baby's gaze will reflect their emotional state and stage of development, regardless of their age. As time passes, the increasingly deep intimacy that will bind you will allow you to decipher each of their glances in the blink of an eye.
Touch
At birth, the need for physical contact is as crucial for your baby as the need to eat or sleep. They need your arms to become aware of their body, to soothe themselves, to stay warm, and to feel protected when distressed. Physical closeness, skin-to-skin contact, and sleeping in your room during the first few months will help them adapt to this new world and become more independent later on.
The voice and sounds
From the moment your baby is born, your voice reassures and humanizes them. In addition to the essential contact of your arms, your words or gentle songs help to soothe them when they are distressed.
Very quickly, your baby will also try to make sounds to communicate with you: at 2 months, they coo with pleasure, making "uh, uh," "uh," and "uh-oh" sounds to answer you or get your attention; at 4 months, they vocalize; at 6 months, they modulate sounds; and around 8 months, they will say "pa-pa" or "ma-ma." Finally, around 1 year old, they will start babbling and pronouncing their first words.
The language of tears
At birth and during the first few months, crying is your baby's only way of expressing a need, a difficulty, or discomfort. A baby never cries for no reason or on purpose; they are calling for help when they are unable to cope alone.
However, your baby isn't always in pain when they cry: you'll quickly learn to recognize cries of pain, which are intense and high-pitched. After a few months, you'll also be able to differentiate between cries of hunger and cries of sleepiness, restlessness, discomfort, etc. Around 6 to 8 months, you'll see the appearance of separation anxiety in the evening or when they're alone, and around 1 year, cries of frustration and minor tantrums.
Responding without counting during the first few months is the only way to calm and reassure him before he is able to do without you: avoid as much as possible leaving your infant to cry alone away from you.
Expressions of well-being
During moments of interaction with you, your baby will quickly reward you with various expressions that are a true form of communication for them. Facial expressions, especially smiles, first appear during sleep as they memorize your interactions, then are directed at you during periods of quiet wakefulness, around 1 month old. At 4 months, your baby will laugh heartily to express their joy and well-being.
From birth, your baby may also have harmonious arm and hand movements that indicate their well-being. Around 2 months, they will start waving their arms when they are happy, and then their feet around 3 months.
As it develops, new gestures and attitudes will allow it to make itself understood more and more subtly before it can truly speak.
Encourage interaction with your baby
Your baby is totally dependent on you . The more you respond to their needs during their first few months, especially through breastfeeding or bottle-feeding and holding them, the more you will give them the emotional security that will allow them to face difficulties and become independent.
• You need to be available to watch, listen to, and understand your baby. Their behavior is a direct reflection of what they are feeling inside. Their reactions will guide your responses.
• Also try to speak “truthfully” to your baby, that is, not to lie to him/her and to speak to him/her normally, without using “baby talk”.
• If you lack conviction, he won't be fooled. A baby senses if you're there for him; he needs to be able to rely on you. He understands from your tone of voice whether you have good or bad intentions long before he understands the exact meaning of the words.
• Focus on the positive, because to grow and thrive, your baby needs their parents to be amazed by even the smallest progress. Encourage them to build their confidence, applaud them at every stage of their development: when they smile, when they start to play, walk, point, etc. By valuing their successes, you will help them forget and overcome their difficulties and clumsiness.
