The bond between mother and child grows naturally during pregnancy.

Mother and baby spontaneously react to each other’s signals. Each day the mother understands better what the baby needs. For example: why he/she cries or when he/she is hungry.

Breast-feeding helps to strengthen the bond between mother and child. However, mothers who do not breast-feed also naturally bond very easily with their baby.

For fathers, it can be more difficult to create such a strong bond. But fathers, too, can strengthen their relationship with their child. They can, for example:

• Feed the baby breast-milk or powdered baby milk from a bottle;
• Cuddle the baby;
• Bathe the baby;
• Carry the baby around.

These moments of closeness are important to father and child. It also means that the mother can rest from time to time.