In Search of Happy Mothers and Babies

Sep 2010 Issue

By Jill Lamping
When expectant mothers consider their birthing options, many factors are in play. These include financial, scheduling and health realities at the very least. I believe there is another important consideration as well: what will happen immediately after the birth.

What should happen immediately after birth is for the baby to be given to its mother to nurse, cuddle, and get acquainted. The reason for this is simple: imprinting happens primarily during the first hour after birth. Imprinting is “rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period,” and it establishes a long-lasting, deep emotional bond. In short, it cements the love between mothers and babies.

Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for imprinting. It is mainly released at three times: during intimacy, during the first hour after birth and during breastfeeding. It is therefore critical that mothers are with their babies immediately after birth, for at least an hour. The “housekeeping” tasks that often take babies away from their moms can be done later.

When imprinting is interfered with in the animal kingdom, typically mammals kill or abandon their offspring. Humans are mammals. Without imprinting, mothers feel like something isn’t right. They feel depressed or anxious, or suffer from postpartum depression or maternal detachment disorder. This is happening with increasing frequency in America. This is a vicious cycle, because mothers often turn to anti-depressants to “correct” the problem. Except that women on antidepressants can’t breastfeed, which is the only option that could begin to repair the damage.

No matter where a woman chooses to give birth, at home or in a medical facility, she should insist on having her baby with her for the first hour after birth. This will help her bond with her baby in the deep, wonderful way that God intended them to love one another.

Jill Lamping is a midwife and herbalist. For more information, see her ad on page 8.