UOne thing is certain: if you are looking for a way to kill time, nothing is more effective than a smartphone. The most precious ally in waiting rooms, on the subway, in queues at the post office. All thanks (or fault) to scrolling, a gesture that is performed every day, continuously, without even paying attention.
Scrolling is not a pastime like any other
All you need is one hand and a thumb to scroll through the contents. And the best part is that the other hand is free! While we’re on Instagram we can mix the sauce, drink a drink or… breastfeed.
However, this confidence with the instrument exposes us to web addiction and addiction, distancing us from the possibility of living quality time. For example, in the relationship with our children, and from early childhood.
This digital black hole, which feeds on our time and energy, is capable of even affect the moment of breastfeeding, the most intimate moment between mother and newborn. It’s true that it can take a long time and be more boring than a queue at the post office but to indulge in wild scrolling would be a shame, both for the mother and the child.
What happens to the brain of mother and baby during breastfeeding
«The bonds between parents and newborns pass through the body, from looking at the sound of your voice while holding them in your arms. These small gestures and details are able to activate the production of hormones such as oxytocin, both in mothers and fathers”, explains Stefania Manetti, President of the Cultural Association of Pediatricians.
Oxytocin is the hormone that regulates nurturing and a sense of protection. «So by producing oxytocin, mothers and fathers feel more available to play, care and protect», continues the ACP President.
The effects of oxytocin
All this has a positive impact on neurological development of newborns and on synapses, that is, the connections that regulate cognitive, sensory and motor functions. «When to reasons of chronic or toxic stress this flow is interrupted, the brain slows down its growth, affecting the child’s cerebral architecture”, adds Stefania Manetti.
Let’s face it: breastfeeding a baby is tiring and boring
There are many balances at play in the intimate relationship between parents and children. Breastfeeding, in particular, represents a unique moment of relationship, but it is also a very tiring practice. Not only in physical terms, but also psychologically.
Alternatives to scrolling exist but they are not up to the mother
The company of the smartphone and a scrolling pastime give though a feeling of well-being that is only apparent. The need for comfort that social media and apps seem to alleviate, according to the experts at the Carolina Foundation, can be satisfied otherwise. But the mother’s responsibility has a limit: those who can help are the community around her. From partners to friends, to relatives.
We certainly don’t want to judge the mother who gives in to scrolling but activate the people around her, so that they commit to understanding her fragilities. Those that normally accompany motherhood: from mood swings to the boredom and fatigue that accompany the care process, especially in the first months of life.
When a life is born we should all feel, more or less, part of this care process. It’s not about creating yet another group chat, but about creating a support network where everyone does something. For the health of the child and the serenity of the family.
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