- YES, MOTHERS HAVE SUPERPOWERS
By simply looking and smiling at each other, mothers and babies can synchronize their heartbeats within milliseconds of each other. Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel observed visible affection from mothers caused discernible physiological effects on their three month old babies.
Writing in Infant Behavior and Development, researchers explain, “Mothers and their 3-month old infants were observed during face-to-face interactions while cardiac output was collected from mother and child. Time-series analysis showed that mother and infant coordinate heart rhythms within lags of less than 1 second”. While touch is the ultimate for synchronization to occur, that’s not always possible. It’s reassuring to know that just looking at your baby with warmth and tenderness can calm their emotions and their heartbeats.
- A MOTHER’S VOICE ENCOURAGES LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
A mother’s voice preferentially activates the parts of the brain responsible for language development, say researchers from the University of Montreal and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre. The research team made the discovery after performing electrical recordings on infants within 24 hours of birth.
“This research proves newborn’s brains responds strongly to the mother’s voice and shows, scientifically speaking, that the mother’s voice is special to babies,” said lead researcher Dr. Maryse Lassonde, “We applied electrodes to the heads of 16 babies while they were sleeping and we asked the mother to make the short ‘A’ vowel sound. We then repeated the exercise with the female nurse who brought the baby to the lab. When the mother spoke, the scans very clearly show reactions in the left-hemisphere of the brain, and in particular the language processing and motor skills circuit. Conversely, when the stranger spoke, the right-hemisphere of the brain reacted. The right-hemisphere is associated with voice recognition.”
CELEBRATE NEW MOTHERHOOD
No matter what parenting style you choose to follow, the inescapable truth is that the blur of new parenthood drains us on every level. Nobody can prepare us for the debilitating effects of sleep deprivation, the unbelievable level of self-sacrifice nor the tests our personal relationships may face.
But, mother nature combats these seemingly insurmountable challenges with the potent spell of unconditional love. It compels makes us dig deeper when we feel we have nothing left to give and drives us to be the best parents, and people, we can be.
I clearly remember sitting on our couch three years ago crying through the pain. Yet ironically, it makes me smile, because it takes me to a place in my life where my prevailing emotion was one of intense joy. I was exceptionally happy as a new mother, in spite of the challenges it threw my way. Appreciating that the growing pains of new parenthood always had a deeper meaning helped me push through when I was at my lowest points. I hope these silver linings help you find gratitude in your difficult moments.
And I’d love to know – what miracle would you add to this list?
Tracy Gillett is a passionate writer, mother, global nomad and natural parenting advocate. Join her Free 5 Day Natural Parenting Superpowers Mini Course to empower yourself with a set of positive parenting tools. She founded the website Raised Good, a heart-driven platform to provide parents with sound, well thought out, scientifically backed advice. Originally from Australia, Tracy now lives in Vancouver, BC, with her kiwi husband and young son. You can also connect with Tracy on Facebook and Instagram.
