Breastfeeding is a really great way to bond with your baby. It's a special time. It enhances closeness between mum and baby. You can have eye contact and spend that responsive time when your baby is relaxed and happy. And it's no coincidence that nature designed breastfeeding, so it cannot be done at arm's length.
Skin-to-skin contact is a great way of enhancing breast-feeding. It helps to keep your baby warm, to regulate baby's temperature, breathing, heart rate and blood sugars. Even from the moment of birth, your baby can see you and hear you and smell and taste your breast milk.
You'll see that baby will route around and look for the breast, and you can help out by bringing your baby close and helping baby to latch on. Whilst you're breast-feeding, eye contact is really important. You can gaze at your baby and they will gaze back at you, and perhaps you'll want to swap breasts midway between feed, so that baby can get a different view of you and the world around them.
Oxytocin is a hormone which is released through skin-to-skin contact and through breastfeeding. Oxytocin is often known as the "love" hormone, and when you feed your baby, those levels of the hormone will increase. It helps baby to feel safe and secure, and can often help to reduce fear, and build confidence and trust between mum and baby.
Even if you're breast-feeding your baby, your partner can still enjoy the close contact and bonding through skin-to-skin contact. Breast-feeding is a great opportunity for you to get close to your baby, and it is a special time.
About video: Midwife Chantelle Winstanley talks about breastfeeding will help you bond with your baby.
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