“He smiles at everyone the same way”, “he doesn’t cry when I leave him with the nanny”…Many mothers worry about whether they hold a special place in their baby’s heart. But, can a baby really confuse its mother with another person? The answer is no ! Explanations with Dr Anne Raynaud, psychiatrist and founder of the Institut de la Parentalité.
At what age does a baby recognize his mother?
“It’s a fairly complex question because what is it to be a mother? There are biological mothers, adoptive mothers, surrogate mothers… With attachment theory, we talk about attachment figures: the baby becomes attached to the person who takes care of him on a daily basis “, begins Dr. Anne Raynaud from the outset. But, if we talk about the mother who carried it, of course baby knows who his mother is. From his first moments of life, baby recognizes his mother on a sensory level. He instinctively crawls to her breast to feed. He makes the link between what he was able to hear, perceive and suck intrauterine and what he now lives: the sensations, the voice and the smell of his mother. Baby lived nine months in his mother’s womb, he forged a very strong bond with her. “ Thereafter, baby knows perfectly how to recognize the person who will carry out the maternal functions, such as feeding him, changing him, dressing him, rocking him, comforting him when he is afraid, cuddling him… In short, he knows in whom he can have trust. Most of the time it is his mother, but it can also be his father or another member of his family “she continues.
What is Attachment Theory? Attachment theory develops the idea that a child needs to attach to a person whom he knows, he “feels”, will meet all his needs, emotional and physiological. As a result, babies grow up in a reassuring and comforting atmosphere, anchored in a close relationship with their attachment figure. According to this theory, a baby who grows up with this sense of confidence will be much more independent than a baby who has been left to cry, and who will see any situation as a source of distress. |
Does baby recognize his mother’s scent?
During pregnancy, baby literally bathed in an environment impregnated with the smell of his mother. It is this element that allows him to distinguish his mother from other women, from the first days of life. He also recognizes the smell of his mother’s milk. This is why a breastfed baby likes to snuggle up against his mother’s breast: it comforts him and secures him!
Does baby recognize his mother’s voice?
From birth, babies recognize from their mother’s voice. And for good reason, he heard it directly for nine months! Infants have also been shown to remember sounds often heard while in their mother’s womb.
With our adult thoughts, we put everyone in competition, whereas for the child, this notion of competition does not exist.
Does baby recognize his mother more easily than his father?
“Baby recognizes his mother more easily because there is an additional dimension with her, which is the sense of smell. Baby was able to hear his father’s voice during pregnancy, but less often and indirectly. Whereas as soon as the mother speaks , the child hears it, in a muffled way of course, but he hears it.As for the smell, baby has grown up inside his mother so he knows it by heart! With the father, there is not this sensory memory, it can possibly be located on the auditory level but no more. There really is a continuity between what baby has experienced in his mother’s womb and the one who takes care of him on a daily basis “develops the psychiatrist.
Can baby confuse mum and nanny?
This is a question that plagues many moms. However, the answer is clear: a baby knows perfectly how to tell the difference between his mother and his nanny. And for good reason, he spent nine months in his mother’s womb, he knows her voice, her smell, the texture of her skin. “The bond that the baby will build with his nanny will be different. In France, we confuse love and attachment. The fundamental need of the child is to feel safe. attachment bring it to him, he will be satisfied. His mother is his main attachment figure and the nanny a secondary attachment figure. He will not love her more than his mother but when his mother is not there, it’s important that someone takes care of him. With our adult thoughts, we put everyone in competition, whereas for the child, this notion of competition does not exist. “, details Dr. Anne Raynaud.
Thanks to Dr Anne Raynaud, psychiatrist and founder of the Institut de la Parentalité