Bonding is the extreme attachment that develops between you and your newborn. It is the feeling that compels you to shower them with a lot of affection, care, and love. To some parents, bonding time may start immediately after birth or within the first few days. Nevertheless, it may take a while for the bonding to happen for other parents.

Researchers in the past thought that it was important to establish a bond right away. In recent years, it has been discovered that bonding can take place over time. Parents who adopt kids later in their childhood or those who get separated from their newborns immediately after birth are also capable of developing a close, affectionate and loving relationship.

The parent-child bond continues to grow each day through caregiving. The baby might be all cuddly and cute, but they are still a new person you have to get some bonding time with in order to know them. There is no known formula with magic that works. We, however, know of a few things that are helpful in the bonding process.

• Play with your baby every day. They may not be able to play with toys at this age, however, the cuddling, smiling and cooing will go a long way.
• Breastfeed. It lets out some hormones in the body that encourage feelings of love and attachment between you. Breastfeeding will also relax you.
• Have a lot of close-up face time. Give them a smile every now and then; smile back when they smile first. Soon, this will turn into some special kind of conversation with them. When you coo, they shall also coo back.
• Initiate and carry along some kind of conversation with them throughout the day. Talk or sing to them while looking into their eyes. Explain what you’re doing, feeling and thinking.
• Have some cuddling time with lot of contacts. Such human touch soothes both your baby and you, so hold and stroke them gently.
• Read a colorful book to them while cuddling.
• Carry them in a front carrier or even a sling. Looking down at them to make eye contact, inhaling their scent and feeling their warmth will help the two of you to bond.
• If it happens that your baby has to stay in intensive care, with monitors and wires all over them, request help to hold and touch them once in a while.
Tread easy with yourself as becoming a new parent can prove to be exhausting. During a period known as baby blues, moms may feel overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy
If you went through a tough delivery, take some recovery time then concentrate on bonding later on. There should be pretty much no rush.

• 23
• 0