Many of my patients are new moms. One question I frequently get asked: “What can I do to make my home a good environment for my new baby?”
Fortunately, the answer is simple! If you’re asking yourself this question, don’t worry. You don’t need to go out and buy anything fancy. All a new baby really needs to thrive is a loving, peaceful space.
In fact, this is helpful even before the baby is born. Even while still in the womb, babies are actually highly sensitive to the environment around them. Their brains are forming and their nervous systems are wiring. If the mom is experiencing a lot of stress, they pick up on it and it affects them and their development.
Now, if you’re an expectant mom, you can drive yourself crazy worrying about whether you’re de-stressed enough. Don’t! You’re doing fine (and while babies are very sensitive, they are also very resilient). Just try to practice self-care and do what you can to relax and promote a peaceful environment around you. It’ll be good practice for when the baby is born!
Once that happens, I like to suggest creating a cocoon-like atmosphere in the baby’s room (or in your home in general). If you normally keep the TV on a lot, turn down the volume, or even turn it off. Same thing with playing loud music or any other noises you can control. There are lots of little things you can do to soften the overall ambience.
One of my patients put rose-colored silk scarves over lamps in her baby’s room to soften the light for the baby’s sensitive eyes. How beautiful! Small steps like that can help the baby have an easier transition into the world. After all, there is so much stimuli in modern life it can be overwhelming even for adults. Imagine what it would be like if you weren’t used to it.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, just a starting point for ideas. You’ll have some good ones of your own! If you have a baby on the way, take a little time to think about what you can do to make your home a loving cocoon for the new arrival.