Mother and baby bond through breastfeeding, providing a unique type of connection since the earliest days of life. Breastfeeding has long been seen as an important part of a mother-baby bond, with immense health benefits on both physical and mental levels. This article will discuss how mothers and babies benefit from breastfeeding in terms of health, nutrition, and emotional connection bonding with your baby.
The {Broken} Mother & Baby Bond from Birth
But first… let’s address some of the physical, mental, and emotional challenges that may hinder the desire to breastfeed. Common challenges that may arise during breastfeeding include feelings of guilt and inadequate milk supply, as well as physical discomforts such as pain or inflammation. Other common worries include the need to supplement with formula and the fear of not bonding with your baby due to the inability to breastfeed exclusively.
Outside of those challenges, we still have the deep-rooted issues most moms aren’t talking about – the feelings of loneliness, a feeling of duty, and possibly even captivity, like a slave, to this wiggly, nipple-sucking creature. I say this because that’s exactly how I felt. I felt like a milking slave to something I wasn’t even sure I wanted to devote 12-14 hours a day to. I was a very young, unmarried first-time mom and this was a struggle for me – especially coming from a very self-centered lifestyle.
Not only that – I mentally battled with the conflict of not wanting to give him formula because I knew “breast was best”, but at the same time, I wanted my body back, all to myself. I asked myself, How do I feel bonded with my baby? And the answer was usually… I don’t.
The demands were high, both physically, emotionally, and mentally, and I started to develop a deep resentful anger toward this child. Something I felt ashamed and confused about and something I could never tell anyone else, lest they berate me for such thoughts and feelings toward a helpless child.
And so… I didn’t.
On top of that, I had many pain-killing and natural oxytocin-blocking medications during my birth, so I never developed or allowed the natural-chemical-induced bond to occur with my firstborn. This led to difficulty bonding with baby and maybe be one of the signs you’re not bonding with your baby. Even if you have an epidural or C-section and you don’t get those mother-bonding chemicals that naturally occur with a vaginal birth – you can STILL get the bond you desire with your baby (if you haven’t felt that urge to nurture your baby like me).
This is how you do that: hold your baby tight, wiggly and all, put their head under your nose, against your lips, and breathe so deep, your lungs feel like they will burst! This is one way to start bonding with your baby! Then repeat – slowing down your breath, rocking your baby naturally with your breath, breathing in their scent into a natural breathing rhythm. Chemical bonding (oxytocin, serotonins) is now in the making.
Now… let’s get those babies on those titties… no resentments or inner conflicts are necessary going forward. Continue this deep breath routine with your baby, skin to skin, diaper only, for the best results!
Physical Benefits of Breastfeeding
When it comes to breastfeeding and its effects on the mother-baby bond, there are tremendous physical benefits. Breast milk contains many vitamins, minerals, antibodies, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that are specifically tailored for a baby’s growth and development needs. It helps build their immune system as well as strengthen both the digestive and respiratory systems.
Research has also found that mothers who breastfeed produce higher levels of oxytocin which enhances feelings of closeness and connection between them and their baby – yup, that essential bonding with your baby moment right there! This special bond aids in creating more trust between mother and child which leads to an increase in overall confidence for the baby.
This mental and emotional connection is just as important for both mother and baby. When a baby is nursed, physical closeness and contact help them feel secure and content. This sense of trust and feeling of security translates into a lifelong bond between the two, making them more likely to have healthy relationships in the future.
Furthermore, breastfeeding can also help mothers with postpartum depression. It has been found that the physical and hormonal changes that occur during breastfeeding can help to reduce stress and produce calming hormones such as oxytocin, prolactin, and endorphins.
Overall, it is clear that breastfeeding helps to create an unbreakable bond between mother and baby. It’s this closeness, the skin to skin contact every few hours (sometimes minutes when cluster feeding) that leads to greater bonding with your baby.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding: Understanding the Mother-Baby Bond
For mothers themselves, there are lots of positive effects that come from breastfeeding such as lower levels of depression due to increased hormone production (oxytocin). Additionally, research indicates that nursing can help reduce risks for other conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc due to calorie burning while nursing. There’s a reason why traditional cultures chose to breastfeed as a way to provide nutrition and nurture to their babies.
The benefits of breastfeeding are far-reaching, helping both mother and baby bond beyond the carnal needs of her baby. It’s important for you, mamas, to understand the importance of this special connection while bonding with your baby, so they can make informed decisions about exclusive breast milk consumption for their child.
Increasing Your Milk Naturally
Traditional (not modern) foods that nourish a mother’s milk supply are also beneficial in increasing overall nutrition for the baby and include foods such as oats, nuts, eggs, and nutritional yeast flakes and brewer’s yeast. Additionally, drinking plenty of water will help mothers keep their milk supply up while avoiding dehydration.
What most moms don’t know about raw milk and the benefits of breastfeeding is that the nutritional benefits are much higher than pasteurized milk. Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria and enzymes that help break down food better, which can lead to increased immunity and improved digestion for mom and baby. The fat content that occurs in raw milk helps with absorption, as well as supplying necessary vitamins and minerals for the baby. For mom, raw milk helps to increase her energy levels, clear skin, and strengthen her bones – to name a few benefits.
Overall, the benefits of breastfeeding are vast for both mom and baby – and that’s an understatement! Overall, though, it provides excellent nutrition, as well as emotional security and connection that helps build trust between mother and child. Mothers who take the time to understand their own body’s needs while breastfeeding will be able to better nourish their babies. The special bond created between mother and baby through breastfeeding is a unique and irreplaceable experience that provides both with tremendous health benefits.
Ultimately, Mamas, breast milk is an incredibly valuable source of nutrition for both mother and baby providing an array of benefits not just on the physical level but emotionally too in so many dynamic ways. Nursing generates strong connections due to heightened hormones like oxytocin which aids in creating trust between the two resulting in boosted self-confidence for babies over time – so breastfeed as long as it works for you both!
Mothers, just make sure you don’t make any drastic changes to your diet to cause tummy distress. Mothers should be aware that they should be careful when consuming certain foods while nursing because some may be unsafe for the baby so always consult with your doctor or midwife before eating anything out of the ordinary.
All-in-all breastfeeding can be a powerful bonding with your baby experience full of love & appreciation for each other worth sharing!
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