Have you ever felt a surge of euphoria whenever you tuck your baby in your arms? If yes, consider yourself lucky, for you belong to an exclusive circle of parents who feel the mysterious "baby high." Science still cannot fully explain this elation that parents feel whenever they carry their babies but one thing is known —not everyone can feel it or at least it's not strong enough to give a certain exhilaration.
First-time dad, Dave Mosher, shared his mysterious ecstatic feeling whenever he carries his daughter in a Business Insider piece. He wondered if other dads or parents feel it too. Mosher said he first started to feel a rupture of joy as he wore his then two-month-old baby in a carrier.
"Incredibly warm, melty glow of euphoria," the first-time dad explained. "It began in my heart and rushed through every appendage, leaving me giddy yet deeply at peace - and on the verge of tears. Everything seemed to slow down. I almost stopped to catch my breath."
In pursuit of answer to his curiosity, he asked his wife if she feels this sudden bliss. He said she would often feel it during breastfeeding, which makes a lot of sense since during breastfeeding, a mother releases oxytocin. This oxytocin, often touted as the "cuddle chemical," is responsible for a person's attachment to another, per The Alpha Parent.
Oxytocin working as a "cuddle chemical" is not exclusive to mothers. It is also apparent for males, most often whenever they bond with their kids or during sexual orgasms. Possibly, this hormone could be one of the many factors that contribute to "baby high."
Oxytocin may possibly work most of the time with dopamine. Dopamine is the hormone responsible for giving a drug-like feeling, which makes a parent crave for that emotion. In other words, dopamine is responsible for the addictive feeling of "baby high," which gives off a sort of reward and make one crave for it again and again.
Meanwhile, dopamine is often a partner of opioids that gives the feeling of relaxation, calmness and satiation. At times, opioids trigger the release of dopamine as well.
Mosher also asked other parents about this, particularly a dad with a toddler daughter. Unfortunately, they are not on the same page, which baffled him more with this affective state of mind.
Countless studies have pointed out the benefits of a child-parent bonding for a child. In the parental aspect, possibly one of the benefits of this bonding is what this "baby high" induces. The chemical reactions that take place in a parents' brain, more often than not, affects bodily functions.
Release of happy hormones, such as mentioned earlier, can uplift mood and combat stress. Stress, which releases the hormone, cortisol, can post threats to an individual's body. In fact, Mayo Clinic notes that cortisol is "public's enemy no. 1" as it can induce depression, mental illness and lower life expectancy.
Going back, if you are feeling a "baby high", thank your child and consider yourself lucky. This is giddy feeling that makes you feel good can bring more physiological and mental benefits you can imagine. All the more reasons you should carry and bond with your child.
