Does Natural Parenting Come Naturally?
Is natural parenting a natural course of life? There are many factors that bond us to our natural born baby and some of them are listed below:
Oxytocin – a bonding hormone 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 tool in creating a mother.
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.
Vasopressin another natural parenting bond
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.
Prolactin in natural parenting
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 parental instincts develop; this takes place during the mother’s pregnancy and after the father cohabitation with the baby.
Above is some of the natural parenting bonding that is created by nature and happens without any control from us whatsoever. Even though many of these reaction are already present in our body to help us be better parents, there is no doubt that natural parenting comes to most naturally.
Some of us may not be natural parents to our children does that mean that we cannot create that special bond? Of course we can as love in itself is the greatest feeling and it is best shown in parent child relationship whether you are the natural parent or not.
Natural parenting is beneficial for everyone in the family but just getting to be a parent, which ever way that is, is an experience one is assured not to forget for a lifetime.
