Theory about why people feel a ‘special bond’ with their mother’s mother goes viral

They say there is nothing stronger than a mother's love – and one woman says it goes further than you think.

A video posted on Instagram by @momhustlempire has gone viral for revealing a theory about the deep connection we have with our maternal grandmothers. Since its release on May 8, the clip has received over 182,000 likes. Dr. Alex Robles of the Columbia University Fertility Center in New York said Newsweek about the validity of the heartwarming fact communicated by the Creator – and its limitations.

“Have you ever wondered why you have such a special bond with your maternal grandmother?” the creator captioned the video. “It's because she once carried you in her womb. A female fetus is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her life. So when your grandmother carried your own mother, you were already present as a tiny egg in your mom's ovaries. The three of you have been connected for generations.”

In the caption, @momhustlempire shared that “everything clicked” when she found out. She wrote that her connection with her maternal grandmother has always been strong and people often remarked that the two were similar. Now that the author is a mother herself, she wrote that she sees the same dynamic emerging with her daughter and her mother.

“We have been connected for generations in ways I never imagined,” she wrote.

In the comments, viewers were touched by the revelation and said it confirmed their feelings for their grandmothers.

“This just answered my biggest question,” one person wrote. “My maternal grandmother died before I was even born, but I've always felt so connected to her. I always felt like we actually knew each other in a spiritual way, and now I know why.”

The fact is true, but more complicated

Robles said Newsweek that the author was right when he said that a woman is born with all the eggs she will have in her life. In fact, he said, the number of eggs is highest when she is still in the womb.

“So, yes, the egg that created you was already in your mother's ovaries when she was still in your maternal grandmother's womb,” Robles said.

The difficulty is to prove that the existence of this ice has emotional consequences for several generations.

“It's hard to prove scientifically that this strengthens the emotional bond with the maternal grandmother,” Robles said. “It's important to remember that an egg is not an embryo – and that the sperm contributes just as much DNA as the egg to shape the person you ultimately become.”

While these emotional bonds are difficult to prove biologically, we do know one thing about maternal bonds: a woman's high levels of oxytocin during childbirth and breastfeeding contribute to a stronger bond between infant and mother. This “love hormone,” according to Robles, plays a significant role in emotional bonding.

“In addition, mothers culturally tend to be more attentive and affectionate with their children, which further strengthens the psychological bond,” Robles added. “The bond between maternal grandmother and child is likely strengthened by the amount of attention and time spent together during these early childhood years.”

Even though the inventor's revelation was more poetic than biological in nature, it still resonates with many on Instagram.

“This is so comforting to me as someone who lost my mother before I had my two children,” one person wrote. “She carried them too. And now we carry them in our hearts.”

Newsweek I asked @momhustlempire for a comment via Instagram.