How love blossoms between you and your child

by Chris Woolston

The bond between parent and child is one of the strongest connections in nature. Romances come and go, but once you've bonded with your baby you're probably hooked for life. Clearly, children have the ability to reach deep into our brains as well as our hearts.

Don't be surprised to find yourself loving your baby before you even meet. A potent mix of emotions, expectations, and powerful mommy hormones kicks in during pregnancy, setting the stage for your relationship with your child.

While you're daydreaming about your baby and picking out names, your body is already laying the foundation for a strong emotional bond. And as your due date nears, your brain starts producing more and more oxytocin, a hormone that literally helps bring out the mother in you. Also known as the love hormone, oxytocin turns on maternal behavior.It helps keep you calm while intensifying your anticipation of your new baby.

Your baby is also developing a bond with you, even in the womb. Studies show that his heart will beat a little faster at the sound of your voice. It's something that will excite and comfort your child now and for years to come.

When it's finally time to have your baby, the stream of oxytocin in your brain and bloodstream suddenly becomes a torrent. Among its many other jobs, the hormone causes contractions and gets your milk flowing. When you finally get to hold your baby, you'll be practically swimming in the hormone. Oxytocin can break through your exhaustion and pain to give you a feeling of euphoria and intense love. According to pediatrician and child development expert Marshall Klaus, the power of oxytocin helps explain why babies are almost never abandoned in hospitals that allow mothers to hold and nurse their babies in the first hour after birth.

New fathers aren't immune to the bewitching power of babies. Like mothers, fathers get a rush of oxytocin when they see their babies for the first time.

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How love blossoms between you and your child