Ten Signs Baby Loves You
Before baby can verbalize it, they are telling you they love you!
Being a parent can be a thankless job sometimes. You feed baby, change baby, hug baby, tell baby how much you lover him and basically devote all waking hours to him. Baby responds by spewing on your new top, producing a daily poo-plosion (or 5), crying when you go in for the snuggle, offering dead silence as you declare your love– and keeping you up half the night. Sometimes it might leave you wondering—does my little one even love me? While the signs aren’t overtly obvious as we might like, if you look closely, chances are baby is sending out plenty of signals that you’re one loved mama or dada.
“While the signs aren’t overtly obvious as we might like, if you look closely, chances are baby is sending out plenty of signals that you’re one loved mama or dada.”
Love You Beyond Words- How Baby is Signaling Their Love
1- Loving Looks: Babies love faces – and yours in her favorite! By gazing into your eyes, baby is expressing her attraction to you. Reciprocal loving gazes lets baby know they can trust you and helps build a loving connection between a parent and baby from day one.
2- Turning Toward You: Even if they can’t see you, babies show a preference for their mother’s voice and scent from early on. In fact, given the choice between your milk-stained pajama top and a garden full of fragment flowers or the alluring scent of cookies just out of the oven – your baby will choose you over and over again. Put your off-key rendition of a lullaby up against a chorus of angels sweetly serenading baby to sleep, and your little one will again choose you each time. Watch baby turn toward you the next time you are nearby and know this is a sign that baby recognizes and takes comfort in you... which is exactly why they will gravitate towards your scent and sound over any others.
3- Smile- You are loved: Babies start to smile around 6-8 weeks – and this is a sign you are loved! Baby is starting to associate you with positive feelings – and like any other human, expresses these positive feelings through smiling. By smiling back at baby when she smiles at you (almost impossible not to!), you are deepening your bond with baby.
4- Baby Talk: Baby coos and babble will first be directed at a trusted and loved caregiver – and these early sounds are baby’s attempt to interact. These adorable little sounds typically begin around 8-10 weeks. When they do, take the opportunity to babble back and deepen your bond with baby!
5- Monkey See, Monkey Do: Imitation is flattery as they say- and this is especially true in the world of little people. Babies begin mirroring as newborns and the behavior increases exponentially between around 10 to 18 months. In the early stages, it starts with smiles and facial expressions- and as babies grow older, it moves to more obvious forms of copying. For example, brushing hair like mom or pretending to sweep the floor like dad. These are all signs baby thinks you’re pretty cool and worth imitating.
6- Pick me Up: Around 6 months old, babies can reach up their arms and express that they want to be held – and they will start to show a preference for those that they love most. This is often why babies will reach for mom or dad – even if they are safely in the arms of someone else. Feeling your little one relax in your arms once picked up is an extra sign that they feel happy and secure with you.
7- Insert laughing emoji: Perhaps the greatest sound on the planet is baby’s laughter – and no one knows how to make baby laugh like you do. Over time, baby learns that you know just how to make them laugh and will light up with joy as you tickle their tummy or make funny faces.
8- Mommy, Make it better: When your little one turns to you when frightened, hurt or stressed, it is a sign that they believe you love them and will care for them. It also shows they are love you in return and trust you to provide the comfort they’re seeking.
9- Separation Anxiety: Baby’s melt down when you attempt to leave (whether into the other room or off to work), is a sign that you are baby’s favorite and they do not want to be apart from you. This tends to start around 8-10 months and can be hard for parents, but it is a sign that a healthy attachment has been formed and baby loves you. While it can take an emotional toll on parents, you can rest assured that baby will settle quickly once you are out of sight. On the flip side, you also get to see the joy and excitement on your little one’s face when you make your return.
10- Frequently Checking In: Looking to you in unfamiliar circumstances or returning to your side (even after the crawling and walking begin) are signs you mean safety and security to your little one. They want to explore the world around them - but they also don’t want to stray too far from their favorite person … you.
As baby grows older, the signs will become more obvious. But until your little one can finally verbalize their feelings (usually around 2-3 years old), you can take comfort in the fact that the signs listed above are all signals of our little one’s great affection for you. Of course as great as the signals are, be warned: nothing can prepare your heart for the first spoken “I love you.” Get ready to be mopping your heart up because we can guarantee you it will be a puddle on the floor as soon as you hear your little one say those three little words.