Mother-child bond deeper than we can imagine

Bengaluru: The bond between mother and child is something that begins much before the child is born and this attachment between a pregnant woman and her developing fetus runs very deep.

“Researches across the world suggest that a physical connection is even deeper than we can imagine. This intense psychological and physical bonds shared by the mother and her child begin during gestation, when the mother is everything for the developing foetus, supplying warmth and sustenance, while her heartbeat provides a soothing constant rhythm,” explains Dr Sheela Mane, Senior Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anugraha Nursing Home.

“The very first movement, the first kick, the first cry, the first sound, and so many first actions by the child is first felt by the mother who records everything in her memory and finds an inner meaning to it. There is a communication that goes on between the mother and her child from when the child is in the womb,” points out Dr Ravi Kyadiggeri, MD Pediatrics, Fellowship in Neonatology, Apollo Cradle.

“When the child kicks, it means something and when the child cries it means something else. There are also different types of cries and it is so difficult to even imagine studying each one in detail. How then do mothers manage to know the reasons behind all these actions?," he added.

Researchers have also found that there is a developmental progression to the timing, intensity, and form of expression of prenatal attachment. “The levels, or intensity, of attachment during different stages of pregnancy,” adds Dr Sheela.

“There is something more that a woman gives the child. That is why child becomes more conditioned to a mother’s voice  as mothers are always soothing the abdomen and talking to the child and the baby in the womb does respond,” added  Dr Kamini Rao, Medical Director at Milann Fertility Centre who sums up saying, “It is quite understandable that a happy mother delivers a happy child.”