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Home › Articles › Newborn and Infant Months › Bonding for Life

Bonding for Life

Develop a Connection with Baby

By Lyn Mettler

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Bonding not only benefits the baby, but also helps the mom and dad. Making that special connection with their baby helps parents regulate their emotions, learn and respond better to the baby's cues and get through the difficulties of being new parents.

"Bonding is that wonderful connection that happens between parent and child, that wonderful dance that Mother and Father and Baby develop with each other," says Leiderman. "Bonding sets the stage for future interaction between the parents and the baby and for that wonderful unconditional love that develops."

Timing it Right
Many new moms, however, may not feel like bonding right away and nurse practitioner Sandra Samberg of New York City says that's normal. "Some bond immediately after birth and with others it definitely takes time," she says. "Don't feel guilty. It's okay, because your hormones are all over the place after birth." But if the feeling lasts for a significant period of time, cautions Leiderman, parents should seek help.

Samberg, the mother of two and creator of The BABY-C Starter Kit, recommends a few techniques to help parents relax into their new role. She suggests that parents learn as much about infant care as they can and try to get hands-on experience to get a feel of what it's "really" like. She also advises accepting support from family members, friends and hired help to give parents more time to spend with the baby. Finally, she says it's important that parents take care of themselves, trying to sleep when the baby sleeps, taking breaks, etc. "The more you take care of yourself, the better you're going to mentally and physically feel and the better the bond can be," she says.


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