What if you don't feel bonded? What if you don't look at your newborn babe and feel anything other than relief that labor is over? These can be normal feelings as well, not everyone falls in love with the baby at birth. Bonding takes time. This truly isn't a Super Glue process, which has to be done in five minutes or your chances for a healthy relationship with this kid are over. Get to know your baby, get to know yourself as a parent, bonding will follow.
We place a lot of emphasis on bonding to the detriment of the mothers and families who are separated from their infants for reasons beyond their control, such as prematurity, surgery, etc. The concept of delayed bonding is coming around. Because bonding is not something that happens in a single day. Although we do recognize the importance of touch, and love, even in the sick or premature infant, it is a process.
Having a baby changes your life. It will change in ways that I cannot begin to describe to you, nor can anyone. We can, and often do, write of the sleep depravation, the diapers and the late night feedings (This is being written at 4:43 a.m.), but that does not give even give you a glimpse into the earth shattering joy that a baby can bring into your life.
Parenting your child is an important task in life. Do it with all the care and love that you've put into the pregnancy, be responsive to your baby, and the parenting will follow.
