Bonding defines an intimate and unique relationship, a bonding process between parents and baby that creates a verbal and non-verbal dialogue, a physical, emotional and hormonal experience. It promotes the infant’s well-being, correct psycho-physical development and stimulates the infant’s behavioural skills. Bonding is distinguished between prenatal and postnatal, which are closely related.

• Prenatal bonding: indicates mother and baby relationships during the period of pregnancy. In prenatal bonding, mother and baby communicate on different levels: physiologically, behaviourally, with visualisation and through movements.

The best known and most effective prenatal bonding activities are: stroking the belly, talking, singing and feeling the baby. The baby, in turn, uses all five senses to communicate and develop a bond with their mother.

• Post-natal bonding: established within hours of birth between mother and baby (also through skin-to-skin contact), it allows the mother to breastfeed, cradle, play with their baby, but also to protect, not neglect or abandon them.

It is very important for parents to be able to see and be with their newborns (rooming in) to stroke them, touch them, talk to them to help them overcome the stress of separation from the intrauterine environment.