baby massage

Crying is your baby's language. At first, it is pretty much the only way an infant can communicate his needs and express feelings like discomfort, hunger, exhaustion and loneliness. It is also the only way he can release pent up stress.  As your baby grows he will learn other ways to communicate—through facial expressions, body language and,…

Stroking your baby’s silky skin, meeting her trusting gaze and taking turns at listening to her ‘coos’ and ‘goos’ then responding, telling her, “ your tiny toes are like little pink peas,” or “your legs are growing so long and strong,” is more than just a delightful way to enjoy your little one’s company.

"Have I ever done anything abusive to you?" I asked my daughter who had just affirmed that I had never smacked her (I didn't think I had, but needed to check just in case maternal amnesia was causing mummy smugness). After a bit of a pause, my self-image as gentle mummy was shattered. "Yes, you have," she said with absolute conviction. "When I…

Bonding with your baby isn’t just a ‘mum’ thing. It’s true that mums have a bit of a head start because they are the ones growing the baby and they have all sorts of amazing hormonal changes that prepare them to birth and breastfeed and nurture babies. However, new research suggests that expectant and new fathers actually experience…

Eye contact is an important element of parent child bonding and the development of trust between parent and child: your face is the most potent visual stimulus your baby encounters, and as you and your baby gaze into each other's eyes, endorphin levels rise in your baby's brain, producing feelings of joy. Your own endorphin levels will rise and, in…

For some It's overwhelming 'love at first sight': "The moment I met Olivia ‘on the outside’ I thought, “Of course it’s you!” and fell instantly and totally in love with her. It was a total Earth Mother, mother lioness reaction, and one I could never have imagined the intensity of nor described before it happened. I was suddenly and absolutely…