The Love Hormone-Oxytocin

"Ten little fingers, ten little toes, two beautiful eyes and one button nose." I remember choosing this quote over many other quotes to be put up on the backdrop decor and the invitation cards for my lil' one's first birthday party! It's always one heck of a task to plan and handle minute detailing - aiming for perfection when you are doing it for the tiny version of you!  
Liz @ 7 months

It is a known fact that babies are born totally helpless but they grow up to be masters of the universe. How does that exactly happen? The answer is that though babies, they respond to every move made by the mother as well as the father to bond emotionally. This initial phase of bonding and building a meaningful relationship has a huge impact on how a baby develops. The bonding between a mother (& father) and child is directed by a hormone called as 'Oxytocin' - also known as 'the love hormone'.

What is Oxytocin? Some Quick Facts:

  • Oxytocin is a hormone that's naturally produced by the hypothalamus - a small region at the base of your brain and is secreted by the nearby pituitary gland. 
  • It is also know as the love hormone or the cuddle hormone as it is released when people snuggle or try to create an affectionate bond. 
  • It promotes feelings of love, bonding and well-being.
  • At times, it may even intensify emotional pain due to detachment or bonding gone wrong - as stated by some research studies.
  • The levels of oxytocin (high or low) are measured by taking a saliva sample in laboratories.


Some tips to get the most out of Oxytocin and create a Strong Bond with your lil one:

  • Touch: You don't need a reason to shower kisses on the baby. A caressing touch is soothing and a very powerful language of love especially for infants who can't speak. Oxytocin level increases significantly in infants and parents with skin-to-skin contact and parents with high oxytocin levels showed more synchrony and responsiveness in their infant interactions. 
  • Reading and Singing: Some nursery rhymes and bedtime story books is all you need to keep handy in your early parenting days. Read out and sing aloud to them at regular intervals. Kids do pickup on nursery rhymes quickly only if they thrive in such environment.
  • Eye contact: Try to have small playful conversations with them daily with eye contact. Babies start making eye contacts at the age of 2-3 months. Initially, they have a limited vision but can see some of their closer surroundings. Vision development is a progressive process. 
  • Bathing a baby: Make bathing time more fun and interactive. Try giving some gentle massage before bath. You will enjoy as they giggle and coo with delight. Try making it more playful with bubble bath and bathing toys. 
My lil one-enjoying her bathing time :)
  • Respond to their cries: In the initial months, your baby needs to feel secure and know that you are there for her/him. Pick them up and hold them close to your heart when they cry and try rubbing their back slowly. It helps in building trust and bonding. Trust me, you ain't spoiling them by doing this :)
"Let me love you a little more before you are not little anymore."

Happy Parenting! :)


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