4 Great Tips for Bonding with Your Newborn through Exercise
The bond between a mother and her child is an important relationship that will last a lifetime. Bonding with newborn baby not only plays a big role in emotional health, but it also boosts the baby’s brain functions and eagerness to learn. Every mother wants her baby to grow and learn as well as possible, and strengthening the bond between herself and the baby is among the best ways to achieve that goal. One very effective method used to strengthen bonding with newborn baby is exercise. Exercise is also a very convenient way of forming an attachment between the baby and his father, who has missed out on all the physical aspects of bonding that occurred during pregnancy and labor.
Tip 1 : Massage is a form of Exercise.. well sort of!!
A very basic physical activity that will allow a mother to bond with her new baby is a massage. It is a great way to become more connected with the baby while releasing oxytocin, the hormone that produces the feeling of happiness and attachment. Being touched will also assist with fostering the baby’s sensory awareness and emotional development. Digestive and growth hormones will be stimulated by massage, and a loving touch is also an effective way to soothe and de-stress a fussy baby. Rubbing the baby down with a nice lotion will work wonders.
Tip 2 : Up up and away… carrying your baby helps!
Simply carrying the baby around with her is a wonderful way for the mother to get her exercise and bond with the baby at the same time. A baby sling is sometimes nice to have if the mother needs to use her hands for something else. Conveniently enough, the baby will gain weight as the mother becomes stronger, acting as a gradual weight progression.
Tip 3 : Lets stretch and do the bicycle legs..
Small babies do not yet have control of their muscles, but they still enjoy the feeling of their limbs extending and moving around. The mother can wrap the baby’s hand around her finger while he is lying on his back and extend the limbs or cross his arms over his chest. The bicycle is also a fun exercise in which the mother alternates pushing one of the baby’s legs towards his chest while the other leg is extended. Great care should always be taken not to overexert the baby or stretch his limbs too far. This can be an enjoyable exercise and will be something the baby can look forward to every day.
Tip 4 : Funny faces? Now that’s definitely exercise
Babies love looking at their mother’s face. They will stare for a long period of time to memorize every nook and cranny, and they even start imitating facial expressions from a very early age. Engaging in physical activities that involve funny faces is a great way of bonding with newborn baby. The mother can lie on her back while securely holding the baby, raising and lowering him while making silly faces. This is a good way to strengthen arm muscles while keeping the baby entertained and stimulated. Another exercise of this type is the push up, which should be done with the baby lying on his back directly underneath the mother’s face.
Bonding with newborn baby is an important aspect of child development to the mother, father and child. If the mother is in tune with her baby, she will be able to know better what her child wants or needs, and it will make for a much easier time caring for the baby. A mother that seems happy will have a positive effect on her baby’s brain growth and development. Bonding with newborn baby is the best way to begin a lifelong attachment between parents and their child and serves the best interests of every person involved.
*excerpt from www.diapersanddumbbells.com
