BONDING WITH YOUR BUMP

I absolutely loved being pregnant after I stopped throwing up of course. I was completely fascinated by my growing bump and I ate books about anything and everything baby and all the different growth stages, even getting daily updates from websites.

 

According to research it has been suggested that from 20 weeks your baby can recognize voices from the womb. This has made talking with your bump one of the more popular and loved methods of bonding. It has been said that chatting to your baby in the womb, creates a sense of security for them and reassures them. One of the other wonderful benefits is that Dad’s voice can also become identifiable to your baby too – and maybe even expectant siblings!

 

You could try reading a story to your unborn baby, or even have a good sing song! Either way the baby will form a definite bond with voices that it becomes familiar with during pregnancy, even the bad singers. I went to lots of concerts as I love my music and James used to kick like crazy. When he was born he reacted quite strongly to music and songs he had heard while he was in the womb and artists I had been to see.

 

Every pregnancy is unique though and we all bond differently with our bumps. I was walking with a friend today and she said she absolutely hated being pregnant and felt like there was an alien inside her. Luckily she has two beautiful humans that she has definitely bonded with since but it’s important to remember that not everyone’s experience of being pregnant is the same and if you are struggling to bond with your bump here’s some ideas you can try:

 

I think it’s fair to say that there are few things more therapeutic than massage so I would definitely recommend this. This method is perfect for calming and relaxing the baby, as well as yourself- allowing tranquil and quiet bonding time for you both. The most popular time to start massaging is during the middle to end of your second trimester- especially when baby has started moving and has most certainly begun to develop its sense of touch, which comes before all others. When massaging the bump, it is quite common for the moisturiser to dry out quickly, so oil is a highly recommended as a massaging lotion, especially if you have one that can help prevent stretch marks.  I loved using bio oil €7.99 from boots, and I actually mixed it with my regular cream after bathing.

 

Having a bath especially if you are a first time mum is a luxury. This way your muscles can relax and help both you and your bump to completely relax- creating the perfect environment for you (or Dad) to massage or talk to your bump.

 

One of the more recent methods of bonding with your baby is through a camera lens. If you have your photo from your scan, keep that near you at all times and spend some time appreciating that you have something so special growing inside of you.  One other way photos can allow you to bond with your bump is by taking a picture of your bump once a week. This allows you to truly document this special time and will forever allow you to look back and witness your baby growing inside of you after baby is born or during your pregnancy still. I was extremely lucky to have had great shots done as I was still modeling and James loves looking at them now telling everyone he used to be in my tummy!

 

There really are so many methods to help us bond with our baby’s and research has opened up a whole new world to mums in the modern world to enable us to connect with our baby in the earliest days. However, despite all these exciting findings during pregnancy, there are traditional methods that will forever remain a magical way to bond with your unborn baby.

One of these is the Mexican bola. The bola charm’s traditions date back over a hundred years and is a concept treasured by mums-to-be all over the world. The Bola charm is traditionally a chiming pendant that is worn low over the bump- allowing the soft and tinkling chime to serenade the unborn baby as mother goes through her day.

I think these would make the perfect stocking filler for any expectant mum. They are available from €19 http://www.blooming-lovely-jewellery.co.uk/mexican-bola/