To communicate means to share thoughts, ideas, and feelings. We communicate through sounds, words, facial expressions, and touch. Communicating in a loving way with your baby from the moment they are born makes your baby feel safe and comforted and creates a bond between you. It also helps your baby learn how to communicate.

• Talk to your baby as much as possible. Even though your baby won't understand exactly what you're saying, hearing the words helps them learn about language. And just hearing your voice is soothing to your baby — it means food, warmth, touch, and comfort.
• Hold your baby often. It helps your baby feel safe and comforted.
• Always respond to your newborn's cries. At this age, you can't spoil your baby with too much attention.
• When your baby cries, see if they need to eat or have a diaper change, are cold, or just want to be held. If your baby is still crying, try these ways to calm your baby:
  • rock or hold your baby while you walk
  • take your baby for a walk in a stroller
  • sing or play music
  • turn on a fan or other calming noise
  • give your baby a pacifier

• Your baby doesn't respond to sounds, especially parents' voices.
• You're worried that your baby isn't seeing or hearing normally.
• Your baby is crying for a long time or the crying sounds odd to you.
• Your baby is crying and has other symptoms, like low activity, poor feeding, a fever, or trouble breathing, or seems to be in pain.
• You feel very frustrated, sad, or out of control.

You know your baby best. If your baby has signs that concern you, call your health care provider.

How do babies communicate? Your baby communicates by making sounds, changing body position, making faces, or moving the arms and legs in time with your speech. Babies this age also cry to communicate. A crying baby might be tired; need a cuddle; have an empty belly or a dirty diaper; or be cold. Babies may cry for longer periods when they're sick or in pain. Sometimes babies cry for no clear reason at all.

How do I know if my baby’s communicating normally for their age? There is a wide range of normal development in babies. In general in the first month or so, a baby will:

• turn their head toward a parent's voice or other sounds
• cry to communicate a need (to be held or fed, to have a diaper changed, or to sleep)
• turn toward the breast or bottle and suck when a nipple is placed in their mouth
• hold a finger placed in their palm
• look at and follow faces when quiet and alert
• stare briefly at brightly colored toys or pictures placed in front of their face

Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about your baby's development.