The Drama of the Gifted Child (pp1-67)

The bonding (through skin and eye contact) between mother and baby after birth stimulates in both of them the feeling that they belong together, a feeling of oneness that ideally has been growing from the time of conception. The infant is given the sense of safety he needs to trust his mother, and the mother receives the instinctive reassurance that will help her understand and answer her child's messages. This initial mutual intimacy can never again be created, and its absence can be a serious obstacle right from the start. (Miller, pg29)

For the most part, the passage is very literal and self explanatory. We can see that there is an immediate emotional bond, from the time of conception that is set off through the physical relationship between the mother and baby. This relationship can consist of any type of welcoming physical contact or gestures made by either of the mother and child. Both are linked by a common dependence upon each other. The mother's sheltering environment allows the infant to rely on his mother for his need