Ever noticed how one parent bolts upright at the baby’s tiniest whimper, while the other only stirs when there’s a suspicious noise downstairs? This isn’t just about who’s more tired—nurture trumps nature at nighttime, shaping how parental brains adapt during the transition to caregiving. The Hormones Behind the Huddle Research shows that both mothers and fathers experience hormonal changes that influence how they respond to their babies. Oxytocin—often called the “bonding hormone”—plays a key role in parental behaviors for both parents, not just mothers. While some studies examine how parents process infant signals differently, the evidence doesn’t support that fathers … Continue reading Brain Science Reveals Why Parents Respond Differently to Baby Cries: Experience Trumps Biology Says Dr. Swain