maternal instincts
Innate nurturing drives
Maternal instincts are the innate drives and behaviors associated with mothering—the impulse to nurture, protect, and bond with offspring.
The phrase often appears in discussions of whether such instincts are biological or cultural: She never felt the maternal instinct everyone told her she'd have.
Extended loosely to any protective, caregiving impulse: His maternal instincts kicked in when he saw the lost child.
- lactationMammary gland secretion
- oxytocinBonding neurotransmitter from hypothalamus
- breastfeedingLactation-based infant nourishment
- skin to skinUnclothed bodies touching directly
- bondingForming close connections
nurturing · pregnancy · soothing · empathy · motherhood · nesting behavior · gestation · fierce · fierce love · attachment theory · mother hen · vigilance · sleepless nights · protective instincts · unconditional love · self-sacrifice · intuition · gut feeling
maternal instinctschild neglect
Failure to care for minors
child abandonment · child abuse · parental neglect · coldness · emotional detachment
maternal instinctslearned behavior
Action acquired through experience
conditioned responses · conscious parenting · cultural conditioning