Their drive to snuggle, snooze, and be calmed in close contact is adorable, but more than just a want – it’s a biologically driven need. Babies are wired to seek closeness to ramp up the production of nature’s bond-making, stress-busting, well-being lifting wonder chemical, oxytocin.
Here are three true things you may or may not know about the snuggle hormone:
1. Oxytocin plays a crucial role in labor and breastfeeding. It’s oxytocin that drives labor contractions, and allows the uterus to contract after birth. It triggers the milk “let down” response when stimulated by a nursing infant, and is responsible for those unprecedented love sensations that new parents report. While oxytocin is known for its role in promoting mother/baby bonding, it’s a lesser-known hero contributor to another essential parenting role – fatherhood.
1. Make sure parents get plenty of time to interact with baby immediately after birth. That might mean protecting the first couple weeks of your newborn’s life as “family time,” or making sure dad takes on equal share of the newborn caretaking. Skin-to-skin contact, especially in the first few days, is a fantastic place to start.
2. Create a designated “snuggle spot.” For us, it’s always the Weeble Rocker – sleek enough to look at home anywhere in your house, cleverly designed for near-silent rocking, and comfy enough to support hours of quality cuddle time. Remember, you can’t spoil a newborn – enjoy every single snuggle with absolute peace of mind.
Wishing you a very cuddly first year of parenthood, loves!
