Guide on Having Baby

Everyone talks about bonding. What does it really mean ?

Bonding refers to the feeling parents have for their young baby-an emotional tug. It can start before birth when you see her on an ultrasound scan or feel her kick. It can also happen when you hear her heartbeat during a prenatal check. Many parents say they feel love for their baby as soon as she is born-but bonding doesn’t always happen this quickly.

Do I Have To Breast-Feed My Baby For Bonding To Succeed ?

No. Breast-feeding may bring a mother intense and pleasurable closeness with her baby, but it is not essential for bonding. The proof is that many fathers, bottle-feeding mothers, and adoptive parents bond well with their babies. It helps to hold your baby, establish eye contact, talk with her, and get to know her. This helps her to recognize your voice and face, too. These one-to-one conversations also play an important part in her development. You can do all these things without breast-feeding.

Will I Bond More Quickly If I Keep My Baby With Me All The Time ?

Although this is not essential, it can help with bonding. It is also usually safer if you keep your baby near you. In the hospital, many parents prefer the security of knowing at any time exactly where their baby is, and with whom. However, you don’t need to feel that you must have her constant company all the time if you don’t want to. If someone else watches your baby for a while, it does not mean that your parenting instincts are deficient, so there’s no need for you to feel guilty.

Is It Important To Cuddle My Baby Frequently ?

Yes. A new baby has only recently left the  comfort of the womb and she still needs your touch, warmth, sight, and sound, so it is important to hug her a lot. She also needs the stimulation you can provide with eye contact and smiles. In some cultures it is normal for a mother to hold or carry her baby virtually all the time in the early months. You don’t have to do this, nor does she need hugging all the time. She has to sleep sometimes-and so do you.

What’s The Best Way For Me To Communicate With Her ?

Talking to your baby is very important from early on. The content of what you say may not be all that vital for now because the sounds alone play an active part in her development. Soon, however, she will be ready to socialize and to have “conversations” with you, so what you say will matter. Smile at her, too. Babies seem to be programmed to appreciate people’s smiles. Smiling on your own may feel a little silly to begin with, but you will soon find that your baby will start smiling back at you.