Bonding With Your Baby

I had waited 9 months for the day to come. I didn’t think I would be scared until the actual day came — and I was! Thankfully I had a lot of support through friends and family. I ended up being in labor for 35 hours, which left me exhausted. After my baby (finally!) arrived, all I wanted to do was stare at him and hold him, bonding to this tiny newness. When we were released from the hospital all I could do was create a plan to be the best mother I could be.

The moment when we find out we’re pregnant is filled with excitement and anxiousness. We then spend countless hours thinking of how we are going to shape our kids into the adults the world needs. It’s hard to get caught up at times with the future that some parents find it hard to parent in the moment. The time will come for life lessons; be sure to take the time and bond with your baby.

When your children are younger, they want to hang out with you every second of the day, so take the advantage! Once they’re grown it’s harder to even have just a dinner with your kid, so make every second count. My dad would bond with me by playing music, helping him build & fix things. He took the time to cook with me, help create our own rap songs together and even bond with me over household chores. It wasn’t the activity in itself that was fancy; it was the time he took to spend with me that meant it all.

A phrase I think is very helpful is “quality over quantity”. Now that I have my own son I take the time listen to music, dance, and sing with him. I know how much it meant to me as a child, so I want to share that with him. His dad has bonding moments too–he even takes the morning to read scriptures with him, play hide-and-seek and make him laugh before our day begins. Whatever way you and your child bond, do more of that.

Newborn bonding can mean having your baby lay on your chest, (skin-to-skin is huge!) Breastfeeding and feeding in general is another huge way to bond with your child. Give yourself enough time to feed and don’t rush the process. Feeding is one of those things kids will have control over their entire lives, so keep that in mind!

All we recommend is listening to your gut, doing what is best for your kid and taking time for the small moments.

Visit www.kidshealth.org/ for more ideas about bonding and its importance.

Thank you for reading,
Ms. Tenesha
Health & Safety Coordinator
Young Scholars Academy