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BONDING WITH BABIES
Bonding with your baby could be the most beautiful experience of parenthood. It’s a way of showing your love and care and develop a strong nurturing attachment towards each other.
Bonding could be the basis and foundation on which your relation with your baby stands. It helps him immensely in his growth and development as an individual with strong self esteem and confidence levels.
Ways of Bonding
Most babies bond immediately and it is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight but is a gradual process, with no set time frame. It is normal and natural for you to adjust to these changes in your life step by step than all of a sudden.
- A baby reacts to touch the most and is the most important and basic forms of bonding with each other. It is most comforting and soothing for the baby.
- Babies see moving things and they need to see you as often as possible.
- They listen and also make eye contact that forms an important aspect of bonding.
- Cradling your baby in your arms or just carrying him around and talking now and then (though he doesn’t understand) is a way to bond.
- Both the partners need to involve in bonding, (though it is mostly the mother), for the baby to touch and feel.
- Skin to skin contact while feeding and putting the baby to sleep by either one of you is a great way to bond.
- Breast- feeding is a great way to bond with the baby as he is physically the most closest to the mother and can feel and smell her and thus identify her. This is why you notice most babies do not readily go to strangers .
- Dad’s also can play a part in the labor and delivery procedures and feel that attachments towards his baby and bond.
- Both the partners can alternatively feed the child while bottle- feeding , bathe and change diapers and cradle the baby each at a time is a great way to bond for both the parents.
- Just reading or talking to the baby , responding to the lovely sounds that the baby makes.
- Taking the baby to the mirror with you, letting him see how both of you look together.
- Sharing a bath , letting the baby touch and feel you is another way to bond.
- Taking the baby around in his pram for small walks in the neighborhood with you or while you walk your dog.
- Having the baby sit in his high-chair at the dining while you have your lunch or dinner.
- Bonding could be delayed if the mother has problems after her delivery or due to the sudden hormonal imbalance, this is when the dad’s can come in and take care of the baby and do some bonding.
- Be prepared for the looks of the baby , do not expect him to look a certain way and then get a mild shock , as most parents imagine their babies to look like their mom’s or dad’s and later get disappointed if it doesn’t happen that way and thereby affecting the parent- child bond.
Don’t Panic
Talk to peers about their experiences in bonding, and take professional help if you think things are getting out of hand, bonding is an extremely personal experience and can not be compared with others experiences . Relax and take it step by step and you could be sharing the most wonderful relationship with your baby.