Undoubtedly one of the most special moments of your baby’s early life is when they smile for the first time…
That perfect moment when all of the sleepless nights, pooping and sick stains disappear to the back of the mind.
That very special moment was capture by chance, by me, on camera last week when my 5 week old son Oscar, smiled for his 13 month old sister Betsy!
My husband and I had been having a competition who could get little man to smile first, and as easy as can be, Miss B signed ‘I love you’ (we sign finger to finger) to her little brother and her touch, as if by magic, made him smile.
When will my baby smile?
There is lots of evidence to show that babies are born with an innate desire to communicate with other humans and that they interact with us long before their first proper smile. From very early on they can imitate the facial gestures of their parents by, for example, moving their tongue and widening their eyes. However, a baby’s first proper social smile doesn’t usually occur generally until four to six weeks.
My baby is older than six weeks and isn’t smiling yet! Should I be concerned?
It’s important to remember that all babies develop at different rates and as long as your baby is communicating with you in other ways you shouldn’t be concerned.
If your baby was born a prematurely, it’s likely that they won’t start smiling until 6-8 weeks after their full term due date. However, as ever if you’re in any way concerned it’s always best to check with your health visitor or GP if only to reassure yourself that they’re developing as they should.
How can I encourage my baby to smile?
Newborns are innately social creatures so they love it when you hold them, talk to them, engage their attention and try and hold their eye contact. So, the best thing you can do to help your baby learn to smile is just to smile, chatter and interact with them as much as possible.
Sing songs, smile widely, and talk in a higher than normal voice. Babies love the ‘up and down’ sound of the voice, so although you may sound silly -you’ll be sure to get a reaction that’ll melt your heart!