Heart to Heart

Did you know that your baby is programmed to find a face for a focal point to attach to, just like they are conditioned to suck when something comes close to their mouth? Of course, of all of the lovely senses that live on your face, it's the eyes that will command more of your baby's attention simply because the act of sight takes up more space in the brain than any of your other senses, hearing, smell, and taste. Seeing is actually responsible for combining all of your senses so that they function as a coordinated whole. This synthesizing of the senses will allow him/her to quickly recognize a familiar face. Of course, we do not want it to be just any face, but the face of you! So one of the ways that you can help bond deeply with your baby is by taking the time to gaze intensely into his/her eyes.

A Valentine's gift for you

5 steps to eye to eye contact

Please don't overlook your postpartum experience by getting all wrapped up with managing the day to day events of your life.  Instead, pay closer attention to the finer detail, the very finest!

1. Have a seat. When you sit down to feed your baby, consider the following; leave your phone elsewhere, and then allow your eyes several minutes of rest by welcoming a vacant, untethered, spacey stare.

2. Really look. Our eyes like all of our senses get desensitized to familiar situations. It is called habituation. So you'll probably need to make a conscious effort to make a connection with your baby's eyes.  Initially, you may find your baby's ability to maintain a gaze limited. However, if you remain steady like that of a still life portrait, I think that you will be pleasantly surprised to find that your baby will be continually drawn back to you, and you will be rewarded to see that they have found sheer delight in you!

3. Breathe easy. Try to embrace your post birth, jelly belly so that when you inhale it expands out more easily, and then effortlessly finds its way back in again. Deep, easy breathing will help to slow you down so that you can maintain your gaze for a longer period of time.

4. Be nice to yourself. Remind yourself what a great mother you are, that you have already spent 9 months nourishing your baby, and look how good he/she came out!

Yoga on Waquoit Bay, Falmouth, MA
Prenatal and Postpartum with Baby
Thursdays 6 to 8 p.m.
Call or text Maurene at 508/566-2531

5. Practice. It's the last phase of competency, practice. Set an intention for yourself that with at least one of your feeds daily, that you will work on eye to eye contact and of course, you are more than welcome to join us in the circle.
                                             
                                               Together,

                                                Maurene




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