A bond for a lifetime

I couldn’t believe it.

My touch actually calmed her.

She was only two days old and crying miserably. I was still in hospital with her and she was lying in the crib.

The nurse had woken her up as she had thrust the cold thermometer in to record her temperature. That had started her whimpering and now in spite of all the patting and petting that the nurse was lavishing on her - she refused to calm down.

I looked on helplessly from where I lay on the bed. I reasoned that if the neonatal care trained nurse was unsuccessful - i certainly didn’t stand a chance.

Then as seconds stretched into minutes and the incessant crying wrung out my heart I braved the pain of my caesarean stitches and stepped down from the bed. I walked to the crib and hesitantly patted her head.

My daughter paused in her crying.

“Touch her again” urged the nurse.

With bated breath I stroked her wispy hair.

Silence.

“She knows her mother’s touch” whispered the nurse.

I nodded incredulously - yes it really looked like she did. Of course I had read all about babies having completed sense organs by around the seventh month inside the womb and perceiving sensations even before they were born.

But to actually see the phenomenon unfold before my eyes - was magical.

This two day old knew my touch - could differentiate it from the nurses touch. Wow!!!

All that research data that I had reluctantly crammed into my head all these years about intrauterine growth and development was actually true.

That was my first reward as a parent - my reward for being a conscientious mom-to-be for nine months - my baby had rewarded me with her implicit trust. We were already best friends - even though we had known each other just for the past 48 hours.   


When I take moms-to-be through pregnancy care classes now - this is one of the experiences that drive me on.

We mould our babies as they grow inside us. We shape them and connect them to us.

While you are pregnant - your every thought and action go towards moulding your baby.


Attend pregnancy classes at The Parenting Place to learn what to eat, how to exercise, how to remain stress free.


Mould the perfect baby and bond with him/her for life.

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