…Daddy squeeze me tighter! 

I read somewhere that today is world cuddle day but then when I looked it up it said it was the 6th or 21st January?!? Anyway I am still going to blog about it!

I have always loved a good cuddle ever since I was little and I think Amelia is similar to me. She gives the best cuddles, if you pick her up she will always snuggle in, sometimes even put her arm around you. The other day she put her hand on my cheek and fell asleep instantly, this made my heart completely melt.

I’ve always found it amazing how important a cuddle can be. If your feeling upset nothing beats someone coming and giving you a hug and some nice kind words. If you’ve had an argument with someone then nothing solves it more (without needing words) than to wrap you arms around them. A cuddle is one of the the best forms of physical contact in my opinion.

When we have physical contact the ‘cuddle chemical’ or ‘love hormone’ Oxytocin is released. Like anything there is some negatives about oxytocin but we don’t need that negativity in our lifes this early on in the year!

After doing some research I have realised there are so many benefits to cuddling. Obviously cuddling isn’t for everyone as we are all individuals and I am sure some people hate them. However here are a few examples of the benefits;

• Makes your heart happy – by reducing stress – which in turn lowers the risk of heart disease!
• Helps with bonding – what is the first thing you do after giving birth? Skin to skin cuddles with your gorgeous baby. It also helps with bonding with other family and friends.
• Helps you sleep – this is due to cuddling helping with anxiety which means you’ll find it easier to sleep – hopefully a nighttime cuddle will prevent the need to count sheep. (See below picture = evidence )
• Helps with intimacy

After googling (because google has the answer to most things) I asked a few people why they liked cuddles. One of them was James who is the least cuddly person I know – see if you can spot his reply! Hahaha!

• ‘They are warm’
• ‘Well I cannot help but cuddle teddy all the time, I like cuddling him because I love him and I love our bond! Also I like cuddles to keep warm’  – Side note check out Tiana’s Blog 
• ‘I like a cuddle because it can make you feel protected and loved, it brings a comfort to your heart and feel like you are the sole thought of that person. For the same reason I love to cuddle my children to give them all those feelings to make them know they are loved and that I want to hold them have them close to me. I also like to cuddle my children as it makes me feel amazing to know I’m their mum and they love and need my cuddles that I can give a sign of love that they can feel. Ooh I also like that there are different kinds of cuddles’
• ‘It’s nice and reassuring’

Side note – please feel free to comment or message me below why you like cuddles or think they are a good thing, feel free to include a picture as well. If I get enough response I’d like to put them all on a post. 

So why do I like cuddles? I love that you can say a thousand words without speaking by giving someone a cuddle. That you can instantly create a bond with someone just by opening up your arms, and by opening up your arms you offer a bit of your heart with it. I love the intimacy of a cuddle and it’s warmth. That it can melt away problems and give you that time you need to regain strength. I love the contact it gives you with another person. To me a cuddle is love!!!

I want to end this blog with a promise for Amelia; I promise to smother you with cuddles and love. You may not always want them as you get older…but until then I will hold you super tightly. When you get older and it’s ‘not cool’ to hug your mum just remember I am always there with a hug whenever you need them. Your daddy is too! ❤

Written by Meghan Brook for her blog Me, Amelia and Diabetes.

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