ABSTRACT
Every child has grown within the mother’s womb, and mother and baby have gone through the physical birth experience together. No wonder this relationship is so significant for both of them, and can arouse such profound emotions. Attachment theory works on the principle that people all have an innate need for relationship, and this need is met initially by the attachment of mother and baby. The quality of this bonding with the mother and later secondary attachment figures will build a ‘secure base’ from which the child can enjoy life. Although attachment theory has made a significant contribution to the understanding of child development, John Bowlby's opinions on the risks to the child if placed in full-time daycare have made him unpopular in some quarters. In late pregnancy and during the early postnatal months, the mother becomes completely focused on the baby’s needs, almost to the exclusion of everything else.
