Guest Post by Katy Doar, President and Co-Founder of The Bunny Hive
When I was pregnant with my first, I found myself overwhelmed by all the things I was told I needed to buy to set my baby up for success: the right nursery, developmental toys, high-contrast books, milestone guides, and the latest baby gadgets. What I later came to realize was much simpler, more than any of those things, what my baby really needed to thrive was me.
Long before babies learn through toys or structured activities, they learn through relationships. Every cuddle, conversation, feeding, and comforting touch shapes the way they experience the world. These simple and natural seeming interactions are crucial in early brain development, laying the foundation for language, emotional regulation, social connection, and a lifelong love of learning.
Over the past decade I've had the privilege to experience the newborn phase 5 times with my own children, while watching thousands of babies and their grown-ups learn together. One of the most common misconceptions I hear from new parents is, "I don't think my baby is getting much out of this yet." In reality, newborns are taking in far more than we can see. They may not yet be reaching for toys or participating in songs, but they're carefully studying faces, absorbing language, organizing sensory information, and learning that the world is a safe place because a trusted grownup is there beside them.
You Are Everything Your Baby Needs
From the moment they're born, babies are biologically wired to seek connection.
During the newborn period, your baby is organizing an entirely new world. Their vision is still developing, they can see most clearly about 8 to 12 inches away, which happens to be roughly the distance between your face and theirs during feeding. They recognize your voice from before birth, are soothed by your scent, and gradually begin pairing your facial expressions, tone of voice, and touch with feelings of comfort and safety.
These repeated interactions help babies develop what psychologists call secure attachment, the confidence that their needs will be met by a responsive caregiver. Far from making babies dependent, this sense of security gives them the confidence to eventually explore, learn, and become increasingly independent.
Researchers often describe these early exchanges as “serve and return” interactions. Your baby "serves" by looking at you, making a sound, reaching toward you, or crying. You "return" by responding with eye contact, words, touch, or comfort. Thousands of these seemingly ordinary exchanges strengthen neural pathways that support communication, emotional regulation, and social development.
Newborns are also learning through a process called “co-regulation”. They aren't yet able to calm themselves after becoming overwhelmed, so they rely on the calm, predictable presence of their caregivers. When you gently rock your baby, speak in a soothing voice, or simply hold them close, you're helping regulate their nervous system. Over time, these experiences become the building blocks that allow children to regulate their own emotions.
Taking Joy in the Mundane Moments
Although beautiful, the newborn phase can also feel repetitive, exhausting, and humbling, with days and nights often revolving around feedings, diaper changes, bath time and very little sleep. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I received as a new parent was to stop thinking of developmental activities as another checklist to complete and instead find ways to naturally weave them into our everyday routines.
A diaper change, for example can be one of the most interaction-rich moments of your day. Your baby is watching your face, hearing the rhythm of your voice, and experiencing predictable touch. Narrating what you're doing, "Let's put on a clean diaper" or "I'm picking you up now", introduces language long before your baby understands the words themselves. Repetition helps babies recognize familiar sounds, rhythms, and patterns that eventually support language development.
The same is true during feedings, bath time, walks around the neighborhood, or rocking and bedtime songs or stories before sleep.
Every one of these moments provides sensory information through touch, movement, sound, smell, and vision. Babies don't need elaborate sensory activities because the world itself is already rich with opportunities to learn. What makes those experiences meaningful is having a trusted grownup alongside them, helping them process everything they're taking in.
Even before babies can speak, they're active participants in communication. A pause, a stretch, a coo, or sustained eye contact is often an invitation to interact. When adults respond, babies begin learning one of the most important lessons of early communication: that relationships are reciprocal and that their actions have meaning.
Creating Rhythms Before Routines
One of the most common questions new parents ask is, "How do I get my baby on a schedule?". The reality is that newborns aren't developmentally ready for schedules. Their sleep, feeding patterns, and wake windows are still evolving. Rather than striving for routines, focus on creating gentle rhythms: a morning walk after the first feeding, a lullaby before naps or tummy time after a diaper change.
These repeated patterns help babies begin anticipating what comes next. Predictability reduces uncertainty and supports the developing nervous system by making the world feel more organized and secure.
These rhythms are beneficial for grownups too. Small rituals create moments of connection in days that can otherwise feel unpredictable. Over time, these shared experiences become traditions that strengthen the parent-child relationship while giving everyone a greater sense of stability.
Every Parent Needs a Village
We spend so much time focused on a baby’s growth and development that it’s easy to forget that we’re growing and changing right alongside them. As you learn to care for your little one, you’re also getting to know a new version of yourself. Embracing your identity as a parent can be incredibly meaningful, but so is staying connected to the person you were before parenthood.
Parenting was never meant to happen in isolation. In fact, the newborn phase is one of the very best times to build your village. Newborns don't yet follow predictable schedules, making it easier to get out of the house, meet other families, and say "yes" to new experiences. They can nap on the go, happily tag along to a parenting workshop, or snuggle in a carrier while you enjoy a grown-up-and-me class or a walk with a friend.
Building confidence as a parent doesn't come from having all the answers, but rather through shared experiences, honest conversations, and the reassurance that someone else understands exactly what you're going through.
These connections benefit babies, too. Even in the earliest months of life, babies are taking in the world around them. They observe warm interactions, hear different voices, experience new environments, and begin building a sense of safety within a connected community. While they may not yet play alongside other children, they are already learning from the relationships they witness every day.
Growing Through Connection
In the earliest months of life, growth happens through relationships. Babies learn about safety, communication, emotion, and the world around them through thousands of small interactions with the people who care for them. The conversations, cuddles, routines, and responses that can feel so ordinary in the moment are quietly building the foundation for development.
And those relationships matter just as much for parents. The postpartum phase is a season of tremendous change, and having people to lean on, learn alongside, and simply share the experience with can make it feel far less isolating. Babies thrive when they feel safe and connected, and parents are better able to provide that security when they feel supported themselves.
In the end, neither babies nor parents are meant to grow in isolation. Some of the most meaningful development happens not through what we buy, plan, or accomplish, but through the relationships we build along the way.
Katy lives in Carmel, Indiana, with her husband, Will, and their five children, ages 2 to 8. She is the President and Co-Founder of The Bunny Hive, where she is passionate about strengthening the bond between babies and their caregivers and fostering meaningful connection, community, and support for mothers throughout the postpartum season.
The Nozebot is a battery-powered suction device designed to clear nasal congestion in babies and children.
