I've got this new theory. I'm not going to suggest that I'm the first to come up with this. It's only "new" in the sense that it's "new" to me. I'd love to see it tested with some research on mothers and infants.
A few weeks ago I got thinking about the profoundly intense bond I developed with my son following my home birth. I had never experienced anything like it. Sure, I developed a deep love for my daughters, but it took much longer and came far less naturally. I have come up with many possible explanations for the intensity of the bond with my son...
* No Pitocin to interfere
* More intense oxytocin rush being in a comfortable, private setting
* Immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact
* First feeding within 15 minutes of birth (I can't remember exactly, but it was the first thing we did after holding him and delivering the placenta.)
* No hospital staff coming in and out of our room at all hours
As I was thinking, I realized another factor I hadn't thought of before...
Read the rest of this post over at my new website!
6 comments:
Thats absolutly amazing! Why do dr.s have to force everything and make it all happen so quickly, taking away the VERY presious inital moments of bonding? (Oh yeah, money. . . all we are to them is $!! The faster we're outta there the faster the next $ can come in to deliver!) ahhhh!!!!
There isn't a lactation consultant for animals and yet the babies find their way.
Dr's leave us ALONE!!
Love this post BTW!!
thanks for sharing. I hope to do this with my next one as well.
kuddos to ALL the home births!
You are full of so many ideas, things I'd never have thought of. I'm glad we're friends. :-)
(And I want one of those brown babies from the video.)
Totally in agreement. Thanks for the post. I love your blog.
I totally agree to this too. Yes, wiping and drying is important. A full on bath is not! It is such a routine at the hospital.
With my twins boys born by c-section, they were automatically taken down to the nursery, where they were weighed, examined, pricked for blood sugar levels, (one was given formula for being one point below the cutoff) and then they were given a full on bath. After that they got "cold", so I was left in my room begging for them to come to me but they had to be under the warmer to warm up. Arghh, makes my blood boil 5 1/2 years later.
They were brought to me smelling nothing like birth and probably not able to recognize my smell either because it was washed all off of them.
I still bonded with them, but it could have been better!
Great post!
I totally agree. It makes perfect sense, actually. This might be gross, but cats actually lick the afterbirth off of their baby, and studies have shown that to be important in mother-kitten bonding. I'm not saying we should lick them, but maybe just let them be for a while. :)
We had our first homebirth 3 months ago. My son didn't have his first bath 'til he was 25 days old! We cleaned him a few times with a wet washcloth in between. I still remember that amazing sweet smell~I encapsulated my placenta and the pills smelled like him! I thought that was neat!
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