Bonveda's Blog

Having a baby is, of course, a life changing experience, and every new mother is elevated onto a higher plane with the birth of her first child. There is so much to learn when getting to understand babies, for these tiny people are a different prospect to even the average toddler. To understand why we have to look - in the first instance -at the sheer rate of development that a baby undertakes in his or her first days, a period when serious bonding and inherent factors are put in place.

The importance of bonding

The first few weeks of a new born baby’s life are among the most important, particularly in terms of bonding with the mother. This is a natural process that has its roots in the ages of evolution, and can lead to a level of understanding and connection that is simply unbreakable in future years. This natural bonding process takes place in all mammals, and examples can be seen in the ability of a mother cat, say, to reject kittens that were not immediately with her after birth.

Humans have the advantage of rational thought, however, and the bonding is more prevalent from child to mother than it is vice versa.

Crying, and what it means

A baby crying is not always a signal of distress, although it often can be, but is an extension of a primitive communication system. The baby has yet to develop the means to speak, yet it can make audible sounds – crying is an example of attention seeking that is simply a natural response to unfamiliar situations. The consoling of a child by the mother by movement – pick the baby up and move it as comes naturally – is effective as that same motion was experienced in the womb, an environment that was comforting and entirely natural to the child. These psychological nuances exist throughout life, and are formed during this very early phase of life.

Picking a baby up when it is crying and swathing it in a comforting blanket will generally stem the crying, and if this is not the case then medical help should be considered – especially if it is unusual.

Sleep patterns

Babies life patterns follow set routines – they eat, and they sleep – and this continues for a long period of time. The development rate of a baby at this point in its life is meteoric, as all of its basic systems are still forming and growing and the energy consumed is quite phenomenal. This is why they eat very regularly, and why they sleep in often unsocial patterns!

A baby needs to feed often, as it has no option. It is simply a necessity that is akin to taking in fuel in order to power mechanical functions. The body of a newborn baby begins growing immediately it is born, and with so many vital organs to put in place the amount of food consumed is vast compared to body weight.

New mothers will notice their baby growing at a quite alarming rate, and the weight it will put on in these first tentative months can often be of concern to an inexperienced mother. It is entirely natural, however, and simply commensurate to the growth rate of a new born child. If the mother does suspect something may be wrong, she must not feel averse to asking an expert – babies are fragile life forms, and need constant care.

The basics

It will surprise the new mother how quickly she picks up the basics of motherhood, and this is because most of it is inherent common sense that has been embedded in our subconscious over time. Many mothers worry about how to hold a baby, yet suddenly find it entirely natural and others about how to know when the baby needs feeding – believe me, you’ll know!

The truth is that motherhood is simply one facet of life – it is, after all, what we are built for.