How do you bond with your baby?

[Kate at Parenting.com]

Cuddle time, skin-to-skin contact, wearing your baby...all these things can help strengthen the mother-baby bond. What did you do with your infant to form that special mother-baby bond? Your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Babytalk!

[tilcia]

I always get on his level - making full eye to eye when it's play time, feeding time, and bath time. When I hug him and when he's asleep I will whisper in his ear how much I love him. When he's in my lap, I hold him up making eye to eye contact and give him lots of eskimo kisses, blow/nibble on his tummy, hands and feet. When I hold him, I nuzzle his neck and give him lots of little kisses. When we're laying down on the floor or couch or even on the bed, I lay him next to me or on my stomach. I believe these little moments have created a strong bond as now when he hears my voice he looks for me with a huge smile and arms wide open for me. When I pick him up, he gives me lots of hugs, giggles and kisses - and he's only 6 months old.

[Marymamabunny]

I like to let him relax on my stomach or we will be both laying on our sides looking at each other. He likes to feel my face or hair and I allow him to, I believe by not shooing him away when he does so he finds a feeling of acceptance. The best skin to skin contact for us is when we breastfeed, he finds security and comfort in it, he will nuzzle my chest when he is tired or just sneak quick little mouth fulls while we are playing. Playtime there are lots of eye to eye contact, he beckons to be kissed or tickled by rolling over and over from side to side or reaching up his arms and grasping for your face. I think all these things make our bond strong and the love I show him will be something that will help him
grow up to be a confident adult

[charliesmommy]

Skin on skin, nursing, not letting anyone tell me to let him CIO until it was time for him to sleep in his crib, talking to him, combing his hair while he nursed, kisses....lots and lots of kisses and eye contact.

[happylyg]

I love to put her on my lap, and we will sing together her favorite song...she can sing a little part of the song although she is 14 months now....and finger play. I will hug her after a song is finished, and she will hug me back...we love the moment very much

[SEhrenreich]

When my daughter was an infant I made sure we had as much skin to skin bonding time as possible. I also looked into her eyes and spoke to her when she was awake and while nursing a would stroke her hair. She is now 14 months and when she is relaxed and sleepy she will play with her own hair or mine if I am holding her.

[sah872]

lots of skin to skin and i contact :-) and i am always talking to her and telling her how much i love her and how special she is to me

[lekha]

I love to nurse her, swing her in my hand, and sleep her in my nap, most skin to skin contact and eyes contact, I do believe that I have so much strong bond with my little angle because whenever I see her she smiles like an angle even in sleep also. she is just 12 months old. I hug her and give her lots of kisses any time. She is my all time favorite and I am so much possessive about her.

[Beata1982]

Baby wrap, co-sleeping and nursing is working great for me. Both me and my baby love it. Also cuddling under blanket, kissing, counting fingers, feeding each other.

[aaronm]

Here is a great video that talks about bonding and secure attachment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bul1meciGE