When parents in New York decide to divorce or raise their child separately, working out child custody and visitation issues can always be an emotional and practical challenge. This can be especially true when the child is an infant. At an older age, it becomes much easier for a child to have a greater role in preparing for and anticipating visits. Infants also require a much higher level of care and are often exclusively breastfeeding. If you are considering how to co-parent an infant, there are some things to keep in mind to help you create a visitation schedule.
Getting started with the visitation process
There are multiple options that can work for your family when developing a child custody plan for your infant. Ensuring that both parents have time with the baby to bond and develop a parent-child relationship from the beginning is one major consideration as is providing the infant with a routine that helps him or her to adjust. Both parents can get experience with learning about a baby’s cries, including those that indicate hunger or exhaustion. It can be difficult for a more experienced parent to let the other parent take over, especially when a baby is involved, but it can be important for the future development of the relationship.
Short visits to overnights
When you first begin visiting a baby, short, frequent sessions of at least 30 minutes multiple times during the week can help to establish the bond while not disrupting a newborn’s routine. Both parents should get to know the sleep and feeding routine and structure their visitation schedule to support it. As the baby grows, you may want to move toward overnight visits, although some areas may not include them in an order until the child reaches the age of 3.
There are other concerns to keep in mind, especially how to deal with pumping or formula supplementation for babies relying on exclusive breastfeeding. Each family can find a child custody and visitation solution that reflects their unique needs, and a family law attorney may help them to negotiate that process successfully.