What bonds a child to it's mother? It's a question which is often asked and one which has never really had a clear answer. Natural parenting is a product of mother nature. I guess that statement is about as general an answer as you'll get to this age old question.

Consider a woman carries a child in her womb for nine months, nourishing and nurturing it until it's time to enter the world. Surely there are processes that take place during this time which form the natural parenting bond between the two. Let's examine some of the possible bonding factors between mother and child.

The Role Of Hormones In Natural Parenting

Oxytocin is a chemical released by the brain when mainly in contact with the skin or in response to social interaction. This hormone-like chemical promotes bonding patterns and is health beneficial creating a desire to bond with the person in contact, in this case your baby. This is looked upon as one of the main tools in the establishment of motherhood.

Oxytocin first important role is during labor; high oxytocin makes the new mother get familiar with baby smells and once she gets to recognize it, oxytocin makes the brain like these odors the best above all other babies. The same course takes place in the baby with the mother’s odor.

The Father's Role

This process is more active in father and baby bonding even if it is present in the mother and baby. It is a hormone that promotes brain recognition towards parental behavior during male cohabitating with the pregnant mother; this makes the father more protective and dedicated towards the mother and baby. Vasopressin induces the same feelings of protection and loving between the father and the mother or the father and the baby by the touch of the skin. While the testosterone wants to prowl, vasopressin promotes family bonding.

The Role Of Prolactin

All of us release prolactin in our sleep (those of us that are healthy at least); this helps in maintaining the reproductive organs and immune system function. Mothers also release prolactin when suckling take place promoting maternal behavior. Prolactin besides promoting maternal behavior also helps the natural parenting instincts develop; this takes place during the mother’s pregnancy and after the father cohabitation with the baby.

Natural parenting is an amazing thing when you really sit down and analyze it. The instant bond a child has towards it's parents and vice versa is a wonder of nature. Even parents who give children up for adoption at an early stage and then re-discover their children later in life and still feel connected in some way continues to amaze.

Good Parenting