Imagine a world from the mother’s secure dark womb, the cosines of the intrauterine environment and the nourishment from the umbilical cord to a world full of people, flashing cameras time to time, variety of sounds and different intensity of lights around. Isn’t this all so overwhelming for the new-born? The little baby is highly confused in its transition from a fetus to a new-born. There are no prizes for guessing what really matters to the child at this stage is security-the establishment of trust that the world is the same as inside.It necessarily comes from the mother- the primary caregiver.
It is a strikingly different world which the child gradually adapts and adjusts to but with utmost care and unconditional love. The theory around skin to skin is not heavily emphasised in our culture, but holds huge importance for the bond between the mother and the child. It immediately establishes trust and security. The baby identifies the mother’s voice beginning the last trimester, so imagine the Power of her touch when the baby is born. The more the baby receives touch, the more secure he/she feels. During this new born stage the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live.
To resolve these feelings of uncertainty the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care. If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened.
[ Erikson, 1950]
As a new mother, I was challenged with symptoms of postpartum depression . However the power motherhood enables us to keep the babies need above ours. It is a well researched fact that babies love touch and respond very well to it, hence it is always a better idea to keep the baby close to your body. Most mothers report that that their babies love to sleep on their chest, and yes why not, it is most comforting (for the baby) For mothers who need to carry out household chores along with the baby, baby wearing comes to help a great deal
The age old practise of massage by the dai/amma/jhapa/househelp is definitely good, but as an early childcare expert ,I strongly profess the fact that the mother should massage their babies atleast one time a day. Several researches have shown that the babies massaged by the mother affects their overall psychosocial development positively(Uzuner, 1998).So go ahead mammas sing a song, dance along or simply talk thereby effectively bonding with your baby.The only communication your baby can hold with you in the beginning is by a smile, cry or a gurgle, but seize these moments!!
Anytime your baby cries for a seemingly irrelevant reason (for example- the incessant crying between meals, getting a massage, bath time), mothers should attend to their babies needs, nonetheless. The myth surrounding the fact that letting the babies cry develops their lungs capacity needs to be busted. And no you are not going to spoil them by tending to them immediately; infact each time you attend your baby, you are building a foundation of trust. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope.
By developing a sense of trust, the infant can have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there and will be a source of support in the long run. Child psychologists have time and again proved the importance of trust and how the quality of early experience of attachment can affect relationships with others in later life (Bowlby and Ainsworth,1991)
New moms-Here is a short list of new resolutions to add to your existing ones:
- Cuddle them more
- Wear them when you work at home and if work allows why not?!
- Attend to their crying
- Always tell your babies where/when you are leaving them even if it is for a short while
- Attend to their cues like sleep, hunger, discomfort immediately.
It is for the benefit of a better bond between the child and the caregiver that these things need to be kept in mind. It might seem of very little importance in the beginning but gradually how small things like these culminate into long term benefits is what I shall aim to explain in my blogs as an early childcare expert.
Dear all keep hooked on for another dose on understanding the little ones though their lens till then keep snug and cosy. Happy Winters!!
— Pooja Srivastava Dewan —
EECE Expert, ProEves, Dr.(Prof.)Pooja Srivastava Dewan has a background in child psychology and that makes her a fiercely active voice of children. Having done masters and doctoral research in child psychology , the one thing she seems to really learn is children are individuals in their own respects and we as adults need to respect this.