Every moment you spend with your baby is a bonding experience for every mother. The mother-baby bond exceeds the boundaries of your heart.
Research has shown that the brain waves of mothers and their babies are connected, working as a ‘mega network’ whenever they interact. A close emotional attachment also helps in preventing disease, boosting your baby’s immunity and enhancing her IQ.
The mystical connection of bonding may not come quickly or easily and there are many instances when opportunities to bond may feel out of reach. Perhaps it is just not possible to devote yourself entirely to your new born.
There are certain ways to bond with your baby:
1.Secure your boundaries
Try to spend more time with your children, no matter how short, sacrosanct. Do not get involved with work during this time. Keep your work-home boundaries secure by asking a boss what are his expectations from you to respond to e-mails and alerts when you are at home. Try to avoid work related phone calls and messages, interruptions, and other distractions when you are with the kid. The time you reserve for your children helps you bonding with them.
2.Quality Time Vs Quantity Time
Spend time with your baby rather than doing lots of activities like watching your favourite program on television, answering phone calls or calling friends, listening to radio, etc. in the little free time you get with your baby. You need to prioritize your household chores and do only those that need to be done on a daily basis.
3.Sooth with songs
Research has shown that a mother’s singing may reduce her child’s stress, and even increase healthy weight gain. Make it a routine to sing to your baby after bath or whenever you can. It will help the baby sleep well. Moreover, your daily schedule will be something your baby looks forward to and will build sweet memories for both of you.
4.Give your baby a gentle massage
Massage can get your new-born baby to sleep better. It also improves health, and even help you bond with the child. Research has shown that it enriches the parent-baby relationship. Within the first three months, baby should be given infant massage as they begin to develop important physical and intellectual abilities, including motor skills.
5.Bond over books
It doesn’t matter if your baby doesn’t understand a single word or plot twists in the books you read. Keep reading a book to them. The sound of your voice provides them with comfort while stimulating their growing minds. Regular talking and your voice will help them gain communication skills, boost their language development, and make them feel closer to you.
6.Cuddle chemical
The more contact you have with your baby, the more your body will produce a hormone called oxytocin. This is also known as “cuddle chemical”. Try making skin-to-skin contact with your baby. Touching will give them the feeling of love, closeness, and fondness towards your body. Keep them half naked and the touch of one another will fill you both with joy.
7.Feed with love
This is probably one of the best opportunities to bond with your baby. Nourishing your baby builds your confidence as a mom and teaches your baby that they can rely on you for their needs. Whether your baby is fed by breast or bottle, caressing their face, making eye contact, holding them close to you heartbeat or your touch will strengthen your connection.
8.Respond to cues
It’s important to respond to your baby’s cries in the first months of life. Make sure you make the baby feel safe. It’s never too early to show your baby healthy ways to calm their body down by practicing deep breathing, rhythmically rocking them, humming, and using calm words.
9.Don’t be hard on yourself
Bonding is an individual process that grows over time, so don’t be hard on yourself if it doesn’t happen instantaneously for you. It takes time to feel connected to a baby when you’ve just met them. Just trust your instincts and the bond between you and your baby will be unbreakable.
10.Express yourself
Every day remind your child that you love him so much and that he is very important to you. Make it a practice to say, “I love you,” at least a few times a day. When you are home, be sure to listen and pay attention to what your children tell you.
