8 Ways Partners Can Bond With Baby During Pregnancy (2024)

Many parents understand the importance of bonding with their baby after birth, but studies show that connecting with your child in utero can be just as beneficial. The problem is, unless you're growing the baby inside of your own womb, it can be difficult to feel attached to them.

But don't worry! While you may never experience morning sickness or fetal movement, you can still have prenatal bonding. It will just require a bit of effort—and creativity—on your part. To help you get started, we've asked experts and experienced parents to share ideas for bonding with baby during pregnancy.

Attend Your Partner's Prenatal Appointments

One of the best ways to feel connected throughout your partner's pregnancy is attending prenatal doctor's appointments. You can learn updates about the baby's development, ask questions, and support your partner through any pregnancy-related challenges. You'll also be one of the first to hear your baby's heartbeat and see ultrasounds in real time—experiences you'll never forget. Bring some tissues, because it's not unusual to get emotional when you first witness this incontrovertible proof that there's actually a baby coming your way! Make sure to snag a copy of the sonogram to show off to close friends and loved ones.

Think Ahead to the Adventures You'll Share

When a pregnant person thinks about their baby, they often picture an infant. Partners, on the other hand, may picture the baby older, as a new playmate, and look forward to showing them the world, says Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads. "Since dads tend to dream of things they will do with their offspring as the baby grows, making or buying something connected to those activities is a tangible way to cement this growing bond," says Greg Bishop. "Maybe it's a pint-size fishing pole, maybe it's something to do with their favorite sports team."

Get to Know Your Baby Gear

Once you've brought your newborn home, you'll get acquainted with plenty of unfamiliar gear. Don't let your partner learn how to use everything alone. Instead, ease the uncertainty of those early days by familiarizing yourself with the essentials. Doug Gertner, author The Grateful Dad's Guide to the First Year of Fatherhood, says that taking the time to research baby products, such as a breast pump, can help your partner and your new baby. It can also feel empowering for you. "Knowledge is power, and knowing what to expect will bring a range of positive possibilities before baby even arrives," he says. From installing the car seat to setting up the pack 'n' play and operating the bottle warmer, you definitely won't regret mastering your baby gear before those blurry newborn days take hold.

Play DJ to Your Partner's Bump

Create an ideal playlist for your future child—and then pump the music into their cozy little cave. That is, take some headphones and place them gently around your partner's pregnant belly. This is your chance to give your kid some great musical taste and make them a lifelong fan of (what you define as) good music. But don't crank it up too much, warns Katherine Moore, an early childhood music educator: "The hearing of fetuses and infants is extremely sensitive, which means the sound levels we expose them to need to be on the gentle side." Be conscious of the type of music you're sharing as well—classical music, gentle lullabies, and soothing melodies can be comforting for baby, while loud, discordant tones can cause stress. So maybe save the introduction to your favorite thrash metal music until they're a bit older.

Your Baby's Alertness in the Womb

Sing a Duet

For the musical family: Why not sing duets to the baby in your partner's tummy? The good musical vibes that will reach deep into the amniotic atmosphere will benefit everyone involved. "Babies hear sounds from the outside world at 16 weeks gestation," says Deena H. Blumenfeld, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. "They also recognize their parents' voices from the moment they are born. If dad sings to the baby while baby is still in the womb, baby will know the song, calm, and look to dad." A smart time to establish a singing routine is before bed, and you can continue the tradition after birth.

Encourage an Early Love of Literature

Your unborn child has ears, and it's never too early to influence their literary tastes by reading to them in utero. In fact, the sooner you whip out the books, the better off they'll be. "Reading was always something my family loved growing up, so I figured I'd start early," says dad Matt Heinz. "I bought a couple of collections that were my favorites—Dr. Seuss and Curious George—and read to my wife's belly. Not only was it a great way to be involved in the pregnancy, as soon as our son could choose stories, he went straight for the ones he'd been hearing since before birth. It was actually pretty amazing."

Feel for Baby Movements

"When our son was the proverbial bun-in-the-oven, my wife and I would hang out every evening of the last couple of months and observe his movements as if we were wildly fascinated students of soccer at the World Cup finals," says Kenneth Mossman, a life coach and dad. This might win the approval of Deborah Petersburg, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators, who says: "Having dad place his hands on mom's growing belly is an easy way for him to experience the movements of the baby. It's fun to try guessing whether you are feeling the baby's foot, knee, hand, head, or bottom! Dads are surprised to discover that the baby will even 'play' with him by kicking or punching where he lays his hand."

This Photographer Shows How Your Baby Fits in the Womb

Take the Baby on Virtual Road Trip

Some of your relatives will surely be far away—but that doesn't mean you can't do some in utero greetings. Introduce your baby to the sound of your grandmother's voice in Oklahoma, or that of your sister in California. Sharing your excitement about your impending parenthood with the outside world will help the experience seem even more real. And in a few months, when they're old enough to take their first real-life road trip, your baby may be more ready.

8 Ways Partners Can Bond With Baby During Pregnancy (2024)

FAQs

8 Ways Partners Can Bond With Baby During Pregnancy? ›

Start early

Babies can hear within the womb from around 18 weeks . So, however silly it might feel, take time every day to speak, sing and read to your baby in the womb. This is your opportunity to share your day with them or even your top 10 albums of all time.

How to bond with your baby during pregnancy? ›

Bonding with your baby in pregnancy
  1. Your voice. From around 18 weeks, your baby can already hear sounds. ...
  2. Songs and music. Singing songs or playing calm music can soothe your baby.
  3. Movement. Feeling your baby move for the first time can be very special. ...
  4. Touch. ...
  5. Listen to their heartbeat.

How can a father bond with a baby in the womb? ›

Start early

Babies can hear within the womb from around 18 weeks . So, however silly it might feel, take time every day to speak, sing and read to your baby in the womb. This is your opportunity to share your day with them or even your top 10 albums of all time.

How can I bond with my partner during pregnancy? ›

  1. Encourage and reassure her.
  2. Ask her what she needs from you.
  3. Show affection. Hold hands and give hugs.
  4. Help her make changes to her lifestyle. ...
  5. Try to eat healthy foods, which can help her eat well.
  6. Encourage her to take breaks and naps. ...
  7. Some women may want less sex. ...
  8. Take walks together.

How does a man feel when his wife is pregnant? ›

Actually, it's not uncommon for men to have symptoms like constipation, gas, bloating, irritability, weight gain, and nausea while their partner is expecting. Fortunately, Couvade is almost always temporary and not serious. It may be caused by stress, empathy, or hormonal changes in expecting dads.

Can baby feel when I rub my belly? ›

The babies moved their arms, heads and mouths more when their mothers touched their bellies than when their moms spoke to them. They also responded to maternal touch earlier in gestation than was previously known, between weeks 21 and 25 of pregnancy.

What makes a baby happy in the womb? ›

Sing – Your baby loves the sound of your voice, as it soothes them. It is the primary vibration they know. Sing nursery rhymes, your favorite songs, the alphabet, or make-up songs on your own. Either way, they'll enjoy it and may recognize the songs once they're born.

How to increase intimacy while pregnant? ›

Find Ways to Be Intimate (emotionally and Physically)
  1. Have sex if you're up for it. Wanting to connect with your partner sexually is normal. ...
  2. Talk about your intimate and sexual needs. Not feeling up for sex or desiring more sex as your pregnancy progresses? ...
  3. Indulge in a DIY couples' massage. ...
  4. Hug it out.
Jun 15, 2020

Can babies sense their father in the womb? ›

And the bonus? Baby may start to know when their father is touching mom's belly. Babies can sense touch from anyone, but they can also sense when touch (and voice) is familiar. And by 24 weeks into pregnancy, dad can usually feel baby kick – but the exact time varies.

What should husbands not do when wife is pregnant? ›

8 things you should never say to your pregnant partner
  • Are you really eating all of that? ...
  • Why are you being so emotional? ...
  • Are we sure there's not two in there? ...
  • You can't even tell you're pregnant, are you sure you're eating enough? ...
  • “You look really tired” ...
  • “You look like you're really ready to pop!”
Apr 6, 2018

Does pregnancy make you more attached to your partner? ›

Does pregnancy make you more attached to your partner? It can if you keep communication open during the major life changes that come with having a baby. Keep your relationship intimate and meaningful by being open about what you each need and want, and you might be delightfully amazed by the ways you can grow together.

What happens to the sperm when a woman is already pregnant? ›

Your partner may be nervous that their semen will reach and hurt the baby during penetrative vaginal sex, but this isn't possible: Your baby is protected by the placenta, the amniotic sac, and the mucus plug. Most semen and sperm that enter a woman's body during sex is discharged the same way it went in.

Do men change when their partner is pregnant? ›

And for some dads, the prospect of becoming a new father may go even further than weight gain. Men whose partners are expecting a baby may develop a range of emotional and physical symptoms of pregnancy known as couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy.

Is it normal to not feel bonded to your baby while pregnant? ›

Experiencing a lack of immediate bonding with your baby during pregnancy is a natural and valid emotional response. Remember that every woman's journey is unique, and forming a connection takes time.

How can I express my love to my baby in the womb? ›

Here are some things that might help you and your baby to start forming a bond before birth:
  1. talk and sing to your baby.
  2. gently touch, rub or massage your belly.
  3. respond to your baby's kicks by gently nudging your belly.
  4. play relaxing or calming music to your baby.

Do babies get clingy when mom is pregnant? ›

Those surveyed were between 1 1/2 and 4 years of age and showed more clinging, sleep disturbance and misbehaviour with tantrums than expected. It is presumed that the mother's pregnancy induces anxiety in her child with consequent behavioural changes.

Can babies feel mom's emotions in the womb? ›

There are different cultural and spiritual beliefs about what babies can experience in the womb and, of course, this can be difficult to measure empirically. But, so far, some research suggests that babies can experience sound, some visual processing, and even pick up on a mother's emotions before birth.

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