This is what happens to a mom’s brain when she hugs her baby
It’s basically magic. ✨

To your baby, you're an endless supply of the best hugs in the world. You're always there to scoop them into your arms and hold them tight, whether they're sad, hurt, crying or just want to cuddle. Your warm embrace makes them feel better instantly, a powerful effect backed by research.
But did you know baby hugs are magical for mamas, too? Researchers have found that hugs have a positive impact on a mother's emotional health, especially after childbirth. A 2001 study published in MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing found that skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, can minimize and even help prevent postpartum depression, which affects about 600,000 women each year in the United States. The same study found that kangaroo care, which includes hugging, can reduce maternal anxiety and promote secure attachment between mama and baby. But hugging doesn't only improve a mother's mood. Speaking to Scientific American, Ann Bigelow, a developmental psychology professor and researcher at St. Francis Xavier University, suggests that hugging can change how they engage as a parent. “They seem to be able to be more sensitive to their baby's cues and the babies are more responsive to the mother through the whole first three months," Bigelow says. “They're recognizing their mother earlier, so the relationship between the mother and baby is off to a facilitated start."
But did you know baby hugs are magical for mamas, too? Researchers have found that hugs have a positive impact on a mother's emotional health, especially after childbirth. A 2001 study published in MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing found that skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, can minimize and even help prevent postpartum depression, which affects about 600,000 women each year in the United States. The same study found that kangaroo care, which includes hugging, can reduce maternal anxiety and promote secure attachment between mama and baby. But hugging doesn't only improve a mother's mood. Speaking to Scientific American, Ann Bigelow, a developmental psychology professor and researcher at St. Francis Xavier University, suggests that hugging can change how they engage as a parent. “They seem to be able to be more sensitive to their baby's cues and the babies are more responsive to the mother through the whole first three months," Bigelow says. “They're recognizing their mother earlier, so the relationship between the mother and baby is off to a facilitated start."