Bonding with Baby

As humans, we are genetically hard wired to bond and we form all sorts of bonds through life. We bond with friends because of shared interest and activities. There is team bonding enjoyed by people grouped together toward a common goal. Of course you have attachment bonds between romantic partners. In all. we seek out bonding as part of our nature rather than roaming the earth in solitude. The strongest bonds, however, form between parents, particularly mothers, and their children.

Maternal bonding

Maternal bond start rather young, meaning you still have a negative age. It starts in the womb. Mommy feels the baby getting bigger then starting to move and kick. By 9 months, yes she wants it out and her body back but she is already attached to the baby.

Baby too is growing attachments. He hears the rhythm of mommy's heart and the sound of her voice. In one study the scientist had mommy read the same Dr Seuss book (because of the meter) to her belly daily. They then tested baby with 4 trials: a) stranger and strange book, b) strange and Seuss book, c) mommy and strange book, d) mommy and Seuss book. By studying the reactions they found that the baby knew the book, even from a strangers voice, and that baby liked mommy's voice better.

We all know how important eyes are and that is a factor as well. Baby's only have a short focal distance and it happens to be about the distance between his eyes and hers while she feeds him. They did another study and found that it is hard not to lock glazes, further increasing bonding. Interestingly, there are also hormonal links to breast feeding and bonding. These, however, in no way suggest that women who bottle feed will not bond with their offspring, merely that there are hormonal benefits such as reduced anxiety and postpartum depression.

Paternal bonding

Now males, of course, are little out of luck in the beast feeding department but they bond as well, though, differently than mothers. While mother interactions are more about nurture, the paternal interactions more involve play and tend to change more with the age of the child.

Mother or father you can be sure you will bond with the baby. It is part of our nature to bond and protect our children just as it is in their nature to go to their parents for protection.