Nurturing the Bond

Bonding is essential for a baby, and most infants are ready to bond immediately after birth. Bonding is a process, not something that needs to happen within minutes, or during a certain time period; rather it happens over time, and usually occurs during normal caregiving of your baby. A baby's first smile can spark joy and love in the parent, which is a first step in bonding.

Some suggested ways in which mom and babe can interact while forming a bond include:

• Skin-to-skin contact through touch (i.e. breastfeeding) is soothing for both you and your baby while promoting your baby's healthy growth and development
• Eye-to-eye contact between mom and babe provides meaningful communication at close range
• Babies follow a moving object with their eyes, developing their vision
• Your baby tries - early on - to imitate your facial expressions and gestures.
• Human voices are preferred by babies as well as babies enjoy vocalizing in their first try at communicating verbally

Bonding with your baby is one of the most enjoyable aspects of caring for you baby, while it promotes healthy development and life-lasting relationship with your baby. Some examples of bonding activities include:

• Cradling your baby in your lap and gently stroking him or her in different patterns. Babies can tell the difference between touches from different people. Your baby will begin to recognize the feel of your hand and the way in which you stroke or cuddle him/her.
• Skin-to-skin cradling (or breastfeeding)
• Infant Massage: especially for premature babies and those with medical problems, they react positively to this. Gentle massage is important for babies as they are sensitive. Before trying this, educate yourself on proper techniques by checking out the many books, videos, and websites on the subject.
  Bonding often occurs naturally almost immediately for a breastfeeding or bottle-feeding mother. Infants respond to the smell and touch of their mothers, as well as the responsiveness of the parents to their needs. In an uncomplicated birth, caregivers try to take advantage of the infant's alert period immediately after birth and encourage feeding and holding of the baby. However, this isn't always possible and, though ideal, immediate bonding isn't necessary for the future relationship of the child and parent.