New dads and babies – building bonds that last a lifetime

day and baby bonding

So  you are  expecting  !!!   Your  friends  send  you  congratulatory messages ,  fellow  moms   excitedly share  with   you  the  joys  of  many  first  times.  This is a  time  of    change  both  physically  and  emotionally  for  the   expecting  mom . While  not  as  apparent  the  expectant  father might  be  dealing  with some changes  himself ,  some  of  which  are hardwired   culturally , and  some   biologically .

Generally  during  the   first  few   weeks  after  the  baby’s  birth  the  mother  and baby spend a lot of  time  together .  A  host  of  endorphins   bring  out  the   nurturing  nature  in the mother . What  about  the  fathers ?    Recent  studies   suggest  that   the  expectant   fathers  start  experiencing  hormonal changes   that  help  them  bond  with  the  babies   right   around   3  weeks   prior  to the  due  date .    Without  going  into the   details   , nature  has  an incredible  mechanism  to make the   males  less aggressive  and  more  nurturing   .  However  if  the  men  are  separated  from   their  off springs   these   changes  are  less pronounced  .    Clearly  this is  good  time  to   get  your  man on  board    to  bond   with   baby 


 In fact  this  bonding    can  begin    while the  baby  is  still  in the  womb .  Talking  to the   bump  is  a  good   way to start  as  the baby  is  able  to recognize   your voice    patterns   while in  the   womb.    Being  involved  in  those early months  of  the   baby’s  life  will encourage a good relationship with your child as s/he gets older.  Unfortunately , cultural  taboos  and   traditions   makes  this  crucial  time  of  bonding   unavailable  for    many  Indian  women .   It is time  to be  creative  and   remember  quality  triumphs    quantity . 

Even  with  nature  giving them  a  helping  hand  a lot of fathers,  especially  the first  timers,   feel nervous   about   handling  their  newborns .  The  baby   seems   tiny and fragile  and  it  is  perfectly natural   to  worry  about   doing  something  wrong  .   This is  the   time  to  encourage  him  to  get  hands  on   and   not  hold back  .  Gently   guide  him   if  need  be .   The  worst  that   can  happen  is    getting    your body or  cloths   soiled .   It  is  something  you  can  laugh  about  later .  Trust  me   an  extra  sheet  to  wash  ,  or  a few   minutes  of   extra  clean  up  time   now     will go a long  way  in   building  relationships  later .  

Happy   parenting  !!!

Next in the series is “Top 5 tips for new fathers to bond with their babies“.

Author Bio:

Syama is a  mom of  3  energetic  kids.  She  loves  yoga,  hiking ,  baking  , solving  puzzles  and  her  kids not necessarily in that  order. In her past life as a  techie  she solved  problems  in  virtual  world.  Now  she  wears  many hats  trying  to  navigate the   challenges faced by  the modern family .  During  her  spare  time  you will find  her blogging  on  varied  subjects  like  maths  and travel .



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