Little Steps to Bond with your Little One
You may have imagined yourself cuddling and playing with your baby even before he/she was born. That defines how deep a bond mom-baby or parents-baby share. However, some mothers or parents may not feel the same affection towards their newborn right away and can take some time to discover the same.
In both cases, you need to make extra efforts to improve your bonding with the little one as it contributes to the release of such hormones and chemicals from the baby’s brain that encourage his/her mental and physical growth. Follow below tips to hone your bonding with the newborn.
Make skin-to-skin contact
Holding the baby very close just next to your skin is the ideal way to start the bonding process. You should try to make skin-to-skin contact with your infant within the first 30 minutes of his/her birth. If you have a caesarean or the kid is in special care, then you can hold him/her once the doctor allows.
Talk and smile
It is evident that newborn will not understand whatever you say. But, the baby will feel at ease listening to your voice in soothing and reassuring tones. As per experts, even infants can recognize a smile, and smiling or talking to the baby by leaning towards his/her eyes can strengthen your bond with him/her.
Massage the baby
Lots of moms trust the baby massaging formula when it comes to bonding with their newborns. Giving a massage to the infant helps in releasing a feel-good hormone called oxytocin in your body and you can feel better with the baby after doing this skin-to-skin exercise.
Respond to crying
Understanding your kid’s reason for crying is not always easy, but you can make the infant feel safe by responding to his/her cries quickly. You should also provide head and neck support while holding the baby as it recreates the secure feeling of being in the womb and contributes to mom-child bonding.
Play sensory games
Newborns experience everything more through touch than anything else. Hence, try stroking your infant’s feet or gently pass soft materials near tummy or cheeks. The baby may want to grab the items, you can let the little one have it and take back & so on. It will help your child in developing mentally and will boost the bond between you two.
Don’t worry if you feel detached towards the baby in the first few weeks as it can take up to six months to develop a great bond with your infant. If you feel that your detachment towards newborn is not letting you take good care of him/her, then see a doctor to know whether you are suffering from post-natal depression. Don’t feel guilty as post-natal depression can occur to any mother and is treatable. If your bonding process is going great, then make it even more strong by following the above tips.
