Your Body, Your Baby, And You: What to Know

Many people would agree that there is no greater bond than that of a mother and her child. From the moment of conception, it is believed that this connection deepens as the baby grows inside of its mother's womb. Knowing a little more about that connection between mother and baby and can mean a lot for both.

At the Cellular Level

During pregnancy, cells from the fetus as well as the mother travel through the placenta, essentially combining DNA. And although only about 10 percent of the co-mingled DNA is found in the mother's blood, even after birth, some of the DNA can still remain. This is true for the fetus as well, who can retain the mother's DNA even well into adulthood. Oddly enough, the mother can also carry these cells from a fetus even if the pregnancy did not make it to term. It has been said that these cells can be passed on to future fetuses and can even continue for generations.

The Mother-Baby Connection

Although there are many speculations as to when the bond between mother and baby is formed exactly, many women have said that hearing a baby's heartbeat or feeling the baby kick is what triggered a connection. On the other hand, there are some women who feel deeply for their babies the moment they find out that they are pregnant. And for this reason, many women practice holistic health and are very careful about what they put into their bodies as it will affect the baby as well. This connection is why most doctors say mothers shouldn't use cannabis for morning sickness.

Late Bonders

Often times, there are cases where mothers don't feel connected to their babies early on in their pregnancies and sometimes not even after giving birth. Sometimes bonding may begin to happen days or even weeks after giving birth. Nevertheless, bonding is a natural process, and it can happen in its own time.

No matter when the connection between mother and baby happens, the bond between the two is inexplicable and amazing, from the way the cells of mom and baby intertwine to how the mother's body releases oxytocin, which further helps to secure the bond. With a connection this powerful, it seems that the baby not only comes from the mother, but that child becomes a part of her as well.

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