Now in it’s 7th year, Baby Communication Week is back in the month of June for another inspiring, equipping and fascinating celebration of newborns’ language.
Key information
Dates: 1st -5th June 2026
Theme: Seeing the Baby
Contact: For any queries about Baby Communication Week or to let us know how you will be getting involved please fill the form below or email our Communications Manager sarah.lam@brazelton.co.uk
Social media tags: #BabyCommunicationWeek26 @BrazeltonUK
What is Baby Communication Week and why we run it…
Baby Communication Week is an annual awareness campaign hosted by the Brazelton Centre UK, but celebrated across the UK and the world!
Through events, networking, and accessible resources, the week aims to deepen understanding among parents, practitioners, health services, and the wider community about how babies communicate and engage in relationships from the very start of life. The Week emphasises the importance of recognising and responding to babies’ behavioural cues, giving babies a voice before they have words, and building strong, sensitive, and responsive relationships that support lifelong wellbeing.
In addition to content shared by the Brazelton Centre UK, NHS trusts, partner organisations, and charities also contribute by sharing resources and hosting events to mark the week. This collective effort is both inspiring and impactful, helping to amplify the message of this important cause — that babies’ have a voices and to ensure they are heard.
What’s behind the theme for Baby Communication Week 2026?
Seeing the Baby
What “Seeing the Baby” means:
- Recognising their communication – Noticing and valuing the ways babies express themselves through their behaviour, including subtle or non-verbal cues.
- Empathising with their world – Putting ourselves in their shoes (booties) to understand and appreciate their experiences. “Seeing” goes beyond looking; it means understanding their experience.
- Honouring their individuality – Seeing each baby as a unique person, not just a patient, task, or diagnosis, and tailoring care to their unique preferences, needs, and strengths.
During Baby Communication Week, we will explore what it truly means to see babies. Each day, we’ll look at common barriers that can get in the way—from being too task-focused, to relying on monitors, to focusing only on diagnoses, or coping with challenging experiences—and explore practical ways to overcome them. We’ll learn to notice and respond to each baby’s unique cues, strengths, and personality, keeping the baby at the heart of everything we do.
Day 1: Seeing the Baby: Pause, Observe, Connect
- Introductory day—why noticing the baby matters and how how observation transforms care.
Day 2: Seeing the Baby: Beyond Tasks and Tick Lists
- How we can move from task-oriented care—whether a nappy change, weighing, or a full postnatal check—to care that truly centres on the baby in front of us. Focusing only on checklists may make us think we won’t miss anything, but we can still overlook what the baby is communicating. By noticing their cues, we can turn every task into a meaningful, individualised interaction.
Day 3: Seeing the Baby: Beyond the Monitors
- Using and trusting our observational skills when caring for babies, rather than becoming overly reliant on numbers and monitors, such as in neonatal units. Babies communicate constantly, giving us rich insight into their experience and how we can best support them. We need to listen to what they are telling us and use this to guide our care.
Day 4: Seeing the Baby: Beyond the Diagnosis
- Every baby is more than a diagnosis or what they cannot yet do. Some may be born prematurely or have physical differences, developmental needs, or genetic conditions. It’s easy to focus on labels and limitations—but in doing so, we can miss the unique baby before us. By noticing their strengths, abilities, and remarkable ways of communicating, we can truly see and support each child.
Day 5: Seeing the Baby: Beyond Trauma and Challenges
- The arrival of a baby can sometimes be accompanied by trauma or mental health challenges, such as perinatal loss or illness, which can create barriers to seeing and bonding with the baby. This day explores how gently bringing the baby into focus, even in the most difficult circumstances, can be part of the journey toward healing.
Your plans and ideas for the Week:
Social media assets
Circular logo: download here
We are currently preparing more assets related to BCW 2026 for your use. Visit again soon!
Baby Communication resources to use
Free to download and print
Behavioural States Poster: Download here
5 parent affirmation posters: Download here
Bonding with your baby before birth: Download here
Order hardcopies
Learning What Your Newborn Baby is Saying to you laminated A2 poster: Order here
How Your Baby Communicates A5 information booklet: Order here
My First Language booklet: Order here