{"id":2185749,"date":"2025-04-08T03:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T10:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/?p=2185749"},"modified":"2025-04-11T12:08:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T19:08:44","slug":"signs-your-baby-loves-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways Your Baby Says ‘I Love You’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A parent\u2019s endless love for their baby can feel like a one-way street. Despite doing everything you can to keep this little blob happy, sometimes your babe just won\u2019t stop screaming in your face<\/a>, and that\u2019s when you might start to wonder if they even like you. They do, of course\u2014and they even show it! But unlike smiling or crawling, your infant declaring their love isn’t a neatly charted milestone<\/a>, and the early signs your baby loves you can be so subtle that you may just be missing them. Here are a few ways your little bean is actually letting you know just how much they adore you.<\/p>\n

1. They gaze at you.<\/h3>\n

Newborns don\u2019t see particularly well<\/a>\u2014they\u2019re highly sensitive to bright light, and for their first two months, their eyes often do not work together very well, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology<\/a>. But as the weeks go by, they\u2019ll gain the ability to focus on objects that are close, and along with bright colors and large shapes, they\u2019re fascinated by faces, particularly those of their caregivers. \u201cInfants are drawn to faces, and when they\u2019re being fed in particular, they\u2019ll stare up at you and it\u2019s a loving experience,\u201d says Dr. Joanne Cummings<\/a>, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Toronto. Get up close and let them take in all the features of your face, as they build up the connection between you and all the good things in life that you bring them.<\/p>\n

Related: Hang in There: 25 Things New Moms Need to Hear<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2. They turn toward your voice.<\/h3>\n

Despite being surrounded by fluid, infants can hear sounds when inside the womb, and they fall in love with the comforting consistency of their mother\u2019s heartbeat and voice<\/a>. Once they’re on the outside, your voice continues to represent comfort and security during a time of chaos and change. That\u2019s why you might notice that your little one turns their head toward you when you speak, even when being held by another caregiver they love.<\/p>\n

3. They love your cuddles.<\/h3>\n

When your baby is tired, upset, or overstimulated, do they calm right down if you scoop them up and hold them close? Or, even better, nuzzle their head into your neck a little? That\u2019s love, baby! Your little one is saying they want and need your comfort. \u201cIn the newborn stage, babies are generally more comforted when they\u2019re held by an attachment figure like mom or dad,\u201d says Cummings. \u201cAs they get better control of their bodies, that\u2019s when you can see them snuggle into you or caress you during feeding.\u201d Of course, not all babies are cuddlers, and if yours rejects the snuggles it most certainly doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t love you or that there\u2019s anything wrong with them. Physical touch might not be their love language<\/a>\u2014or at least not at this stage in their life\u2014and that\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n

4. They smile at you.<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s maybe nothing sweeter in the world than your baby\u2019s first smiles. They usually show up around the six-week mark, give or take, but around four months is when babies will smile to engage you and show their love. \u201cOften in the first weeks, they smile when they\u2019re dreaming, or some say it\u2019s because of gas, but after six weeks, when they\u2019re looking at you directly and smile, you\u2019ll know it\u2019s a social smile,\u201d says Cummings.<\/p>\n

How you respond to those smiles is important. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, responding quickly and enthusiastically lets babies know they\u2019re important to you and can trust you. It also shows you\u2019re interested in and value them, which contributes to their developing self-esteem.<\/p>\n

Related: 10 Totally Typical (but Weird) Things That Babies Do<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

5. They\u2019re comforted by your smell.<\/h3>\n

It may seem strange that a tiny baby\u2014who barely knows night from day and literally doesn\u2019t realize their hands belong to them\u2014could recognize and be comforted by a specific odor, but science proves it. In one study<\/a>, crying newborns were presented with an article of clothing that smelled like their mom and they stopped crying, while a clean piece of clothing didn\u2019t do a thing. In another study, babies showed a distinct preference for a cotton swab with their mother\u2019s breast milk on it. Your baby loves your scent because they love you!<\/p>\n

6. They\u2019re sad when you leave.<\/h3>\n

Although it can break your heart when your baby reaches and cries for you as you\u2019re leaving, it\u2019s also pretty strong evidence of their love and attachment. \u201cThis occurs over the first 18 months of life that they become distressed when you leave,\u201d says Cummings. Just don\u2019t be surprised if they freak out when you return, too, like when you pick your baby up from daycare and they cry hysterically. They definitely aren\u2019t upset that you\u2019re back. Rather, Cummings says they\u2019re more likely just overwhelmed by their big emotions\u2014and those most definitely include their love for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever wonder if your baby even likes you? They show their love in really subtle ways, so look for some of these signs next time you need a morale boost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187728402,"featured_media":2185751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"city":[14331571,551419385],"ml_tag_age":[700852499],"ml_tag_interest":[700853562,700852760],"ml_tag_season":[700852481],"ml_tag_holiday":[700852449],"class_list":["post-2185749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ages-and-stages","category-newborn","city-baby","city-national","ml_tag_age-adults","ml_tag_interest-breast-milk","ml_tag_interest-self-esteem","ml_tag_season-fall","ml_tag_holiday-non-holiday"],"yoast_head":"\n6 signs your baby loves you - Tinybeans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It'll be a while before they gaze into your eyes and say "I love you mama," but you can look for these more subtle signs your baby loves you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Ways Your Baby Says 'I Love You'\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It'll be a while before they gaze into your eyes and say "I love you mama," but you can look for these more subtle signs your baby loves you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tinybeans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tinybeanskids\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-08T10:15:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-11T19:08:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/baby-smiling-one-of-the-signs-your-baby-loves-you.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kim Shiffman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tinybeanskids\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tinybeanskids\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kim Shiffman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kim Shiffman\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a7b056a2ce2aa5433f3026844d6f8e22\"},\"headline\":\"6 Ways Your Baby Says ‘I Love You’\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-08T10:15:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-11T19:08:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\"},\"wordCount\":865,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Ages & Stages\",\"Newborn\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tinybeans.com\/signs-your-baby-loves-you\/\",\"name\":\"6 signs your baby loves you - 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