What are the ties between a mother and her unborn baby? Article by Mathilde D.

The ties between mother and fetus are biological, psychological and sensory:

• Biological: the umbilical cord brings all the food and the vital elements for the well-being of the fetus. It is the physical link everyone knows about.
• Psychological: it includes the attitudes and reactions of the mother during pregnancy. Doctors have demonstrated that if a mother is really stressed the newborn baby may get eczema or become an anxious child later. There is also a transgenerational memory, meaning if the mother goes through a very difficult ordeal during her pregnancy, the baby will be psychologically affected by this event. He may then develop phobias or other mental problems.
• Sensory: it is really important that parents talk to their child during the pregnancy in order to provide her/him with affection and love. After the birth, the parents’ voices will be really important for the baby because they are the first sounds s/he will recognize. Haptonomie, the ability of parents to communicate with their child without the use of words, is also very important: they have to use their hands and rub the stomach in order to interact with their child.

Unfortunately, some babies will never get the attention needed from their parents... Some surrogate mothers, for example, deprive their fetus of the necessary sensory attention because they consider the baby as not really being their own...

Mathilde's ambition is to become an obstetrician. Studies are long (11 years or more) and very difficult (with two major exams). But she thinks it will be worth the effort because improving the health of mothers and their babies is so important.