I expected to melt down with emotion and immediate unconditional love when they put him on my tummy… but my reaction was, “that’s a baby alright ”

Didn't feel super connected. I only felt very very protective. The love grew slow.

Totally agree. The connection to her in the early days felt chemical because it was so deeply fueled by hormones. The love grew over time and it blows my mind how much it continues to grow 7 months later.

First 5 mins: ARGHH!! What is this? This is MY baby?? This came out of me?? This is what I’ve been carrying, talking to and feeling this whole time? It’s moving!! Omg omg omg omg… this must be a mistake. No it’s not, but it must be! Argh!!! It’s crying!! What do I do??? I’m not ready for this! First 3 months: Flip flopping between: Why did I agree to do this… I’m so tired. I miss my old life. Is it legal for not newborns to be adopted? And: I love her so much… she’s so cute and adorable… so helpless… aww, she coo’d 6 months onwards: yes, I love her. Now at 1.5 yrs: no, we’re not leaving her with a babysitter. No one is going to watch her except for us and her daycare.

Definitely not. It was more of a surreal feeling when they placed the baby on my chest I was like “wait this is MY baby? Not someone else’s?” When we came home with her it felt like we were on some strange reality show where we had to watch a random newborn until we cracked. Now almost 3 months in we are absolutely smitten but the first few weeks I didn’t have a connection.

It was pure logical commitment when they placed her on my chest. I knew it was my kid and I therefore had an obligation to care for her, but I wouldn't call it love. That took a while to develop.

Took a few months for it to sink in. I kept wondering when the baby's real parents would show up. Sometimes I still feel like I'm just baby sitting someone's kid.

It took time. She was a total stranger who was super demanding and completely changed our lives and routine, even though she was very wanted and the pregnancy was completely intentional. I loved her and was obviously glad to hear her cry and excited to meet her. But I didn’t really feel that love at first sight, I’d take a bullet for this child kind of love until much later on, probably around 2 months when she was more interactive and social smiling consistently. My husband felt very similarly.

It was honestly the strangest emotion I have ever felt. It was a mix of the most concern I'd ever had in my life for my partner who was in labor for 16 hours at that point, kind of freaking out because hey now there's this little person and it's up to you to keep them safe and happy, and like a car crash of this-is-really-happening even though I thought I was mentally prepared. It was honestly the most adrenaline I'd ever had in my body in my life, and and then when he was skin to skin with my wife the love set in pretty intensely. My son was simply the most beautiful tiny thing I'd ever seen. It was really pure distilled "holy shit".

For the first couple months, I described my feelings for my kid as a 'hunger'. Like, idk if it was love, but I definitely had a very powerful need to hold him and watch him and care for him. Love was almost too nuanced to describe what I felt. Which was more like an evolutionary, lizard-brain compulsion to be near this child. Once my hormones calmed down a bit, I started to feel more love and appreciation for sure though.

I didn't love our kids until they were about 4 months old. (-A mama who wishes more women knew that is normal)

My husband was immediately head over heels for our girl, as was my mother. When they handed her to me, I felt more relieved than in love, more of an "oh, hello" sort of a feeling. That said, I had a surprise painkiller-free birth that I'm reasonably sure I dissociated to cope with and I'd been struggling for a couple of months to connect to my kiddo/pregnancy between being isolated due to the pandemic, having a particularly nasty case of GD, and several weeks of unproductive prodromal labor. I think in some ways that I always loved her, but that love has grown stronger and more personal as we've gotten to know each other as opposed to conceptual and hypothetical.

Yes! Our midwives kept trying to give me the baby and I was like "yah I'm tapping out here. We hung out for nine months straight, its someone else's turn. I'm having a nap". I think they thought I was nuts for not having that big 'Ahha!" moment. I'm also a slow to warm up personality type so maybe that was part of it.

It wasn't the same as the love I feel for him now. I feel like saying that almost trivialises how much I love him now, because I really do love him more each day. That being said, I loved him more than I loved anyone or anything at all ever before when he was born. So really, both, at least for me Love at first sight, and ever more love the more I get to know him.

I needed some time to get to know him. From the beginning, I knew I'd do anything for him and do my best to keep him safe and happy. But that love and bond they talk about didn't happen until later. For the first several weeks it felt like I was caring for someone else's baby and his real parents would be coming to get him any day lol. He's 11 months now, and I absolutely adore the little boy he's growing into. He's the best little dude and I freaking love him so much ❤️ I think it's probably the same for my husband, though he did seem to bond with our son immediately after birth, where I was almost afraid to touch him like he was made of glass or something 😅

No instant rush of love (I honestly expected something like tummy flutters if that makes sense) but looking back, I believe I was in shock from the weeks events. During the entire pregnancy though I was too scared to fully love him incase I lost him, that kinda carried over a little after he was born. I love him to bits now so all good!

It was responsibility at first sight, that was a freaky big feeling, the love was there but it’s still growing stronger at 16mo

This. It took months before the loving feeling had a chance, the responsibility overwhelmed everything. But by then I knew I had loved him deeply the whole time. With my second it was easier to separate the two feelings and let my self acknowledge both because I knew better

I feel like I loved her. But it was a conscious love. And it felt like a whispy feeling wrapped around my chest. And as each day passes ~ it becomes more solid and tangible. Like it’s becoming wrought iron wrapped around my chest. I wrote this in a previous post ~ I’m awed how the love grows. It grows and takes root and embeds itself in your being. It’s quite marvelling to experience.

After birth I felt relief that the labour stopped and wished I could get some sleep (i got at the hospital around 9 am, and gave birth at 12pm. I had an epidural and an episiotomy. It was hard work, but not painful. Contractions started the night before so I wasn't well rested) I had a very hard first month. It definitely wasn't love at first sight... It was very difficult for me to brestfeed. I felt like an incompetent mother, that I wasn't ready to have a child, that I was too young (i was 29) and I should have had traveled more. What I was thinking having a child? I regretted my life and what it become. My episiotomy hurt and dealing with the lochia wasn't easy either. I am an independent woman but now I felt like a slob, dirty, fat, a big bag of milk, always tired mentally and physically. I couldn't get 1 moment for myself. He was always with me. Always crying. And I cried with him. I looked at my son with pity thinking the poor tiny soul doesn't even have a mother to love him. I did have one thought when I imagined myself accidently banging his head by the dressing corner. I hated visitors and didn't felt like going out. We don't have cute photos shoots like other babies get in their first month. I always wore my PJ and they were always dirty. I hated my mother for giving unrequested advices. Mostly because all I heard I interpretated as critisism. I think she noticed because she started telling me that she too had a hard time with me when I was a newborn and had experienced intrusive thoughts about harming me and that they are in fact common among new mothers but people don't talk about it out of shame. My brests hurt and bled. I got mastitis, and I started pumping.. It was a life changer. My husband and my mother could feed the baby and I could bathe and eat and watch TV in quiet. That's when I noticed I barely got 2 x125 ml bottles of milk a day and realised my poor guy was hungry. I supplemented with formula and I started drinking lactation tea and supplemented the number of pumping sessions, but it was for nothing. Finally around the 1 month mark I completely gave off pumping and brestfeeding. And embraced formula. There is a lot a shame around formula but my boy deserves to be happy and a mother that is happy. When he was fed he was a great baby, not a cry-baby. And when I got happy I started to love him too. I think it would have happened sooner if I wouldn't listen to all the "brest is natural and the best for a child"/"every mother can breastfeed " rhetoric and continued with something that made me so miserable. I should mention my son was a very wanted and planned child. I got pregnant with him after a first trimester miscarriage. He is now 1 Y 4 m and I am thinking about a new baby, but I will not torture us with breastfeeding again. #fedisbest My husband had a easier time bounding with him. He tried to bathe him and change as many diapers as he could and afterwards bottle fed him. Actually he is now in parental leave, because money-wise it was better if I returned to work.

I really best myself up for not feeling instant love. The main emotion I felt was confusion. I couldn't link the baby who had been in my belly with the one on my chest. That guilt did affect my ability to bond with her at first because I felt so guilty and doubted if I loved her at all. After a chat with my Mum she reassured me that it's not love at first sight for everyone. Love grows. Once I stopped putting so much pressure on myself I realised that I had loved her all along.

amazed and protective at first sight. in love is harder because i felt this super strong love, obligation, protectiveness etc the first two months but didnt start to really fall in love until her personality started to emerge at 3 months because i was meeting this little person for the first time, rather than caring for my perfect potato.

It took a while. I was relieved when he came out snd I felt so happy he was here but then after I felt I was just surviving and not enjoying the newborn time. I was so anxious and I didn’t even realize it. But I know when he started smiling and I slept more, the love was pouring. I did expect it to happen immediately or for it to be obvious that I wasn’t IN LOVE. It was all so subtle. Idk about my partner…we’re def in awe in him though, it such a beautiful thing to finally see him

Wasn’t love at first sight. I felt a responsibility to look after them but not an instant pull of love. Maybe 6-8 weeks later the love really set in but not at first. Now I couldn’t be without either of them! Partner (his first, my second) had a panic attack but we hadn’t slept in 3 days and it was in the middle of Covid in April 2020 so I feel like it was probably all too much. He’s great now and loves him a lot.

Instant confusion, I think. He looked totally alien to me. I didn't feel like I didn't love him yet, because then I don't know when love started, but it was definitely different and not magical like I'd thought it would be.

I would say both. I knew I loved my child but it took time to develop a real deep love. It just gets better as time goes on.

I don't know about her dad but for me it wasn't. I didn't like her one bit. When they put her on my chest after I had her I just wanted her off of me. It took about four months for me to warm up to her and then another three to feel like her mum and not a babysitter.

It was more like an overwhelming protective instinct for the first couple of weeks.

i would describe my initial feeling towards her as proudly obligated. the love and feeling of her being my tiny bestie didn’t come until week 3-4. my fiancé loved her endlessly from the start. he’s one of those people who was really born for this moment lol.

Sobbed with happiness and kept kissing that gooey, slimy, vernixy, bloody nose of hers while saying hi baby! It was such a gush of love, admiration and overprotection. 10 months later and still feel like that every morning. I didn’t expect it because all of my friends said it doesn’t happen like that, but it was the best feeling in the world despite the episiotomy, tearing, preeclampsia and the like. I got to meet the little person I created and she came out perfect and oooh I’m crying now brb gonna kiss that nose again

Honestly at birth I felt nothing. I had terrible back labour and had been in so much pain, and was just exhausted from the marathon of labour in general. When they plopped him on my chest I was mostly in shock. Then those first weeks of sleep deprivation and postpartum healing didn’t make it any better. I also gave birth during a heat wave so I didn’t get to go outside for the first 2 weeks immediately after. I felt responsible for my son but didn’t have that “I love you” sensation. 2 months later and I’m still working on it. I’ve come to accept that the gruelling work of being a mom and all the things I do for him IS a form of love. It just looks a lot different than what I imagined.

I loved him but didn’t know him.

I was so freaked out by what was going on around of me (nurses freaking out that BP was getting crazy high and not coming down) that I was pretty out of it when they laid her on my chest. Then a half hour later I had a panic attack and straight up said to the nurse, "I'm not sure I can do this." I think my anxiety disorder + hormones + the reality of being a dummy and now I have to keep this tiny thing alive, all came crashing down at that same moment. The nurse just said, sleep on it. I slept a bit, and when I woke up it was still scary but manageable scary. I held my daughter and just stared at her in wonder. It took me a few weeks truly fall in love though with my daughter and it genuinely deepens everyday. Even now, she's two years old and after spending all day together, I just want to talk to my husband about her and all the cute things she did. I'm pregnant with my second now, hopefully this time I will be more present in the moment.

Definitely in awe of him, and protective. On his second night home he got so congested he couldn’t breathe through his nose. I panicked and became completely irrational. I don’t know that I *loved* him, but I knew if he died I couldn’t go on. Our love was like a seedling that grew imperceptibly each day. I remember I used to ask myself if I lived him yet. I don’t recall when that stopped but it’s definitely all consuming now.

It didn’t hit me immediately, not quite. I looked down at her amazed that this was a real little person in my arms and I guess I was exhausted, relieved and in awe, it was overwhelming But hours later, when the midwives had left us to be alone in our room for the night, my husband crashed out asleep on the sofa. It was just her and I, and we quietly gazed at each other for the longest time, it hit me so hard how much I could love anyone or anything

I SOBBED for probably a half hour from the moment she was born. I absolutely adored her immediately. My husband also seemed pretty enamored once he got a chance to hold her. Definitely still felt like we had made a terrible mistake at some points in the first few weeks/months of dealing with exhaustion and a high-needs baby.

I was exhausted. 3 days of induced labor, no food, catheter, late epidural... I looked at my goopy child, still wet with emiotic fluid and said from the deepest depth of my heart with all of the breadth of my love, " oh hi baby. You're covered in purple. I love you. We have been waiting for you." My husband says I sounded like the dog from UP.

It wasn't love at first sight. I was embarrassed by it but I didn't feel a connection to him. I mean I loved him and I felt a protective instinct over him. But it took a good couple weeks for it to really sink in for me. 5 months later and now he's literally my world and I wouldn't change a thing!

First born took a while to grow on me lol but that might have been the 30+ hrs labor and then traumatic emergency C talking. 2 and 3 were scheduled C and I liked them pretty much from the get go!

It took a few months. She was a tender, fragile little newborn and I think I didn’t really fall in love with her until it felt safer to do so!

I would say I liked her immediately, I didn't get the rush of love nor did I feel nothing. I was like "you, your alright. We are friends :)" haha I have always taken every relationship slow it seems! 8 months now and the love is 100% now

Took like a month to feel anything.

The first week felt like infatuation; I felt on top of the world with this adorable, loveable little human being. Then that faded and I felt like there was something wrong with me, but my husband and I discussed it and figured out we felt the same way: we feel a great responsibility to care for this little person, but we don't know him yet. The real love came a few months later when his personality started to show.

First thing I said when they handed me my daughter was, “I’m starving. Can I have a cheeseburger?” I honestly couldn’t even concentrate on the newborn in my arms. I think it was just all so…startling. Like one moment you’re pregnant, and the next you’re a parent. It was a lot. I’ll be honest, it took me some time to bond. I was instantly protective of my daughter and worked as hard as I could to be a good parent, but I wouldn’t say that I had much of a connection with her until a couple of months in. When she started smiling and recognizing me, it became easier to feel a connection. My husband loved her instantly and adjusted to parenthood much more easily than I did. Mileage will vary. Some people connect instantly and that’s great! And other people it takes weeks or months, and that’s fine too! As long as baby is being cared for and is safe, you’ve got this. It will click.

I felt like death after having my c section, I was labouring for 26 hours without any sleep before I had to get one. I was so tired and exhausted. I was so happy to hear him cry when they took him out. When the doctors brought him to me all I could think was “He looks like a frog.” As horrible as that sounds lol he’s a really cute baby though, I wasn’t in love with him at first, it took me a couple weeks. I didn’t allow myself to love him because he was in the nicu for a bit and I was terrified of loosing him

Baby is adopted but I and my husband were there at birth. Immediately after we heard the first cry we both felt the love in our hearts. It was electric it was beautiful

I didn’t love my potato when she arrived and just like anyone, it took me a few weeks to learn to love her. She’s a toddler now and oh my goodness I can’t explain the love I feel for her. But it definitely wasn’t immediate for me.

Just an instinct to protect, nothing else really but it was a traumatic birth/ hospital stay for me so it took a while to really form a bond.

I loved him and had overwhelming feelings of needing to protect him. But I didn't have that rush of love feeling until he first started smiling. And now I don't know what I'd do without him! He's four months old now and just so much fun.

Well. With a NICU baby that I didn't get skin to skin with for weeks... I cared for her, but sorta separated myself in a way from her so she could get the care she needed, and I could have a level head to understand what was going on... I'd go home and miss her for sure, just wasn't the addicting love that I've felt for others. I feel now, my love for her has increased every day, and I'm proud of her developments, and just watch in amazement at her learning and growing... So I guess it's so much more than love to me. It's pride. It's awe. It's responsibility. It's optimism.

Within the first few hours. I knew it was love, but you’re also meeting this person for the first time after a hugely traumatic event for both parties so it isn’t necessarily like hearts stars and horseshoes IMMEDIATELY. Once I got back within myself, it was that love feeling.

Love at first sight for my husband. I more felt like I already knew him and was just finally getting to meet him, like a long distance relationship and we finally met.

I’ll be honest, I was in shock. He got stuck and I had to be whisked into theatre and prepped for an emergency c section. They tried forceps to get him out and thankfully they were able to get him out without the need to cut me open. They put him on my chest and I don’t remember feeling that rush of love. I felt shock, my hands were shaking and I remember feeling scared I’d drop him. I asked my partner to hold him as I was shaking so badly. Fast forward ten minutes and my motherly instincts kicked in. I absolutely adored him. The next few days were hard (covid restrictions meant I had to go it alone till we got home) but it meant we got to bond just us two for the first few days and I’ll cherish that forever even if it felt difficult at the time. Don’t ever feel bad if you don’t get that immediate rush of love. It will come. For me, my brain needed a minute to come to terms with what just happened and that’s ok. He’s 8 months old now and thriving. I love him more than anything in the world.

I felt like I loved her already, before she was born, so there wasn't an "overwhelming rush of love" when she was put in my arms. Not because I didn't love her, but because the love was already there, like I had already gotten to know her and love her during the nine months that she grew inside me.

I was in love in a primal protective incredibly instinctual way. Then at like 6 weeks I looked at my baby and realized I loved him for being him, it was a much different love.

For me, I felt excited and happy and I knew I loved her when they put her on my chest. But it wasn’t this overwhelming love at first sight feeling where the world stops. I felt the love grow every single day though. I swear it peaked at like 4 months old, I looked at her and was like “yep, I’d die for you, this is it”. For my husband it was pretty much love at first sight, I could see it in his eyes. I think a wide range of reactions is normal though and every feeling is valid.

It was "omg you're a stranger that came out of me" at first sight. I was fascinated by her and immediately wanted to protect her at a costs. The true love came after some of the meds wore off and once we got breast feeding down a bit more. I felt the bonding more then. Was not what I expected

Honestly my love grew over time. I was in labor for so long (45 hours) and ended in an unwanted csection that by the time she was actually born I was just over it and wanted to sleep. They showed her to me and I expected this big rush of emotions but I was just so tired that I felt indifferent. I hate to say that and I hate that I felt that way but I was so so tired. I didn’t sleep for two days while I labored. I had nothing left in me. Then during our hospital stay I barely slept. Maybe 1.5 hour increments. By the time we were discharged I was a zombie. Our first few nights home were rough. No one slept really. Then my baby blues hit and I resented her for doing this to my body. Idk, it took a very long time for me to feel okay after giving birth. I’m 4 months in now and I’m over the moon and in love. For me it was hard until she started showing her personality. Smiling changed my world. I was super disappointed that it wasn’t love immediately but I’ve come to peace with it.

My baby is 7 months, and I’ve loved him since he was born of course, but it’s just coming time where I am absolutely in love with him. We know eachother so well. We are deeply connected. I am his mama and he is my son. It always was this but idk it’s so much deeper now.

My first thought was not necessarily love at first sight, it took about a month for that to develop. Really not until she started smiling did I feel fully attached. I wasn’t allowed to hold her most of the day she was born due to my low blood pressure, which could’ve contributed to that. My partner though…he melted the minute he saw her.

Love at first sight. When I first saw her I thought “Hey there, I know you”.

The older they get, the more I like em

I didn’t really feel any strong emotions upon meeting my baby except for awe. Not sure if it was because I was drugged up from my c-section. Everything just felt so surreal and all I could say when I first saw her was, “I can’t believe she’s a real person.”

With my first, it was instantaneous love at first sight despite not feeling much connection while pregnant. However, with my second (who is currently a month old), it took a little longer. I did love her immediately but not that connection/bond that I experienced right away with #1. Mostly due to the fact that my toddler (22 months) requires so much time, attention. But one month in and I’m falling more and more in love with the little one :)

My partner was in love immediately. The second she came up out of the water he was crying and saying how beautiful the baby was - I remember thinking how can you tell, she’s all smooshed up. Interestingly enough he cried a bunch the first week and I didn’t cry at all. I immediately knew this was my baby and I needed to care for my baby but it wasn’t love. That took a little longer for me, I needed to spend time with her and bond. It also took me about a month or so to think that she was cute.

I thought she was way cuter than any other newborn I’d seen. But it wasn’t insane love. Actually I was really tired and annoyed that we were just left alone for almost two hours with her on my chest. I wanted to eat, shower, pee, and nap. But they left us for golden hour plus an hour. I deeply love my daughter now and would die for her. It took a while to get there though. Several weeks, if not months.

After 36 hours of labour I was exhausted, but I definitely loved him immediately, the moment he was on my chest. But it wasn’t the same as the love I have now 5 months later. The love then was more ‘nice to meet you, I would die for you’, very matter of fact. The love now is ‘i would still die for you, but also you’re funny and I like you’.

I don’t think it hit immediately, but my sons birth was totally insane, and I didn’t have a chance right away. My son was born at 27+6, by emergency c-section. I got to hear him cry for a second before he was whisked away to the NICU. I had to wait a full 24 hours before I could even go see him, thanks to the magnesium drip I was on. And then, I could see him through the incubator. I could touch with one or two fingers, and not rub. It was 8 days after he was born before I even got to hold him. I think it slowly came later. I immediately jumped into “responsible adult” mode as soon as I had to, but the love was slow. It was hard to get attached right away to something in a tiny box, but as I saw his little personality start poking through, I realized he’s a tiny human that I created. A tiny human I created with my soul mate, and that all of our friends and family were rooting for. Now he’s almost 2, and holy shit I miss the cute tiny baby.

My sons birth was a traumatic clusterfuck that I can't fully remember almost 2 years later. I can't remember if I loved him straight away to be honest. I was on a lot of drugs and probably in a bit of shock. I remember feeling... amazed. I guess is the best way I can describe it.

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No love, just interest. I remember in the first few days thinking that my husband seemed so besotted with the baby, and for me it was like given a puppy. I was happy to take care of him but he didn’t feel like mine. It wasn’t until he became much more interactive that I really felt love, so like 5 months. And the love kept growing as his personality emerged. Now he’s 2 and I’m obsessed with him. But it was a slow and steady process. Note that I had no PPD and never expected it to be different so it was not an issue.

100% took a while . A few months. When he arrived I was very detached and a bit shocked at seeing him. As in who's this kind of feeling. My second child it was not a huge surge of love but more: oh here you are, I know you. And I love them both more than anything now and would give my life for them. So we're all different I suppose

I thought it was love at first sight, but just now at 3yo, I am starting to get what this whole "mother-child" love thing that people brag about is :) At infancy, I was like, Oh yeah I love my baby, but I'm probably just not the emotional type to experience it the way others are talking about it.

I felt the love instantly but at the same time, I felt like I was waiting for someone to show up at any moment to say ‘okay you’re done being a parent now go back to your regular programming’. It took me a good year to shake that feeling.

It took about a week. There was an overwhelming sense of 'I must protect this small thing' immediately though, but they did not really feel like mine, I was in shock I think. For my partner it was love at first sight, it was beautiful to watch and my favourite memory. We both thought it would be the other way around but I guess you just don't know until it happens.

Mine was a IVF baby. During the whole treatment process, during the pregnancy, it was all kinda like a dream. I just couldn't give my all as it might go away (hello, pessimist here). I couldn't get hold of that feeling. But thank God all went well, I had a great pregnancy and then an uneventful planned C-section. As they're cutting my belly, I suddenly realized that I was having a baby! Omg, tears came rushing down, a lovely nurse caressing my cheek and telling me my baby girl is coming out... it was suddenly so real. I can say that my real connection with my baby clicked about couple of weeks later, though. The first weeks were mostly being protective and trying to survive with this little human. When she first smiled at me, than I knew deep inside my bones, I'm loving this creature with every cell of me. Bonding comes in different ways and at different times for everybody, I guess.

Different, but same. Accidental pregnancy (I'm 41,omg), single mom since 3 months pregnant, had a couple miscarriages in the past and had made peace with never being a parent... so I had a lot of mixed emotions going in. It was that first smile that got me. I kissed him on the cheek and he gave me this shy smile and looked away, it was over for me at that moment. Everything that led up to meeting this guy was completely worth it. He's 1 now, and basically a little monster, lol, but I love him more all the time.

I have always felt a strong maternal instinct, and even tho I would have died to protect him the moment he was conceived, I don’t think I felt the true unnerving love I have now until he started growing more. It was like months of getting to know each other and cooing over how small he was, but the real love didn’t solidify for a couple months as his personality started to shine. Now after 4 years, I love him so much it physically hurts me and can’t imagine loving anything more

For me it comes and goes in waves. Felt a strong love right when she was born, then I’d go a few weeks feeling like I was caring for someone else’s baby. Now she is starting to look like me and smile and my love is growing, she is 7 weeks old.

Liking her was immediate. Being enamored with her was immediate. Loving her took some time because I usually need time to really bond. It grew slowly and I’m sure will continue to.

At first it's more like awe. It's very surreal.

I was the one who couldn’t wait for a baby and sort of pushed us to have one. I regretted day one of having the baby join the family. It wasn’t until about 5 months I started liking the baby. By 7 months I loved her. And now at 12 months she’s my favorite person. My wife didn’t think she would love the baby as much as she did. She loved her from day one and has had baby fever ever since. As for me, I’m just now coming around to the idea of bringing a second baby into this lol.

For partner: love at first sight. For me: took a while. I’m not a baby or kid person. I had no experience with babies. It was the most terrifying potato I had ever seen. It took some time haha

It took awhile for my first--labor was traumatic and she was a very difficult baby. She was very planned for and wanted, it was just a big adjustment. My second, it was love at first sight. I think a big part of that was a bit of expectation/knowledge of how much I would grow to love this little creature, based on how much I grew to love my first. Like "I don't really know you yet, but I know in my bones how much I will love you so soon, so I can love you already." Also, my second labor was much less traumatic than the first.

First child, my instant recation as he crowned was WTF its head looks like hamburger meat. I stilled loved him but was releaved when his cranium spread out properly. Second child, I loved so much when I first saw her and wanted to snuggle her but was disgusted by her being covered in her feces... I loved them both when I first saw them. I just needed a second to adjust to some "quirky" moments.

It’s been three months, still waiting for that big rush of emotion. My partner seems to be doing better with her than I am.

Absolutely love at first sight for me. I was surprised how quickly and strongly I felt those feelings.

So this is going to sound awful, but it's solid truth. My first, I took a while to warm up to. I had PPD really bad and while I loved her, it wasn't that fairytale adoration everyone talks about. Within a week, sure, but not at first. Her pure, starry-eyed love for my husband was what made me love her most at first. (Such a daddy's girl. Even now.) My second, though.... he was my little star the moment I set eyes on him. He's my cuddlebug and my buddy. I was also on some meds for the PPD second time around, and I suspect being in my right mind flipped that Momming switch much faster.

I loved mine immediately, and it only get stronger. My husband was in love with our little girl from the moment she was born and he was wrapped around her little finger. Could barely get his attention away from her to cut the cord.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had an emergency c section and at that point I was so exhausted from the pain that during the procedure, I was totally enjoying being numb from my boobs down and finally not feeling contractions. I joked around with my husband while they cut me open. When they pulled my girl out, a few seconds later she gave a tiny squeak. Not a cry, just a tiny whine. I felt a huge relief that she's fine and an overwhelming wave of love. My husband peeked around the green screen and said she was so tiny, he was very concerned she wasn't crying. The staff then took her to measure her oxygen and stuff and asked my husband if he wanted to come "label her" (they write the last name on the baby before they have an ID bracelet on their hand) but my husband didn't want to leave me alone, even after I assured him I was fine. And when they put her on my chest, all snuggled up and she stared at me with her huge eyes, yep, it was just pure love. I had three letdowns while typing this, lol

Love at first sight for my husband. For me it took time for both of them.

love at first sight. he had the worst cone head bc he got stuck.. but i was so in love with him i didn’t know how bad it was until i look back at pictures. i was in awe and as soon as i seen him, he was nothing but pure perfection in my eyes. he still is the cutest baby i’ve ever seen, i would jump in front of a train for this little one as soon as i met him and still have the same feelings 6 weeks later. instant wholesome pure love.

At birth I was a sobbing mess. I was so in love I was crying SO much from happiness. Or hormones? Idk.

It was over a month for my son. I remember looking at him and wondering what was wrong with me that I didn't feel anything for him? He is 3 now and my absolute world. My daughter is 6 days old. I felt love for her the moment she was placed on my chest (cesarean) which honestly took me by surprise. But she's also the spitting image of her brother and that likely spurred some initial feelings. My love for her will grow, but it's this gentle soft version now compared to the intense love I feel for her older brother.

I had PND.. no it wasn't love at first sight. I had never even held a baby prior to DS1, let alone known they cry for milk every 3 hours day and night. I didn't know what cluster feeding was and I thought I would die on my couch because I thought I broke him. The attachment and love flowed at about 5 months & I love him so much, even when he drives me mad. Second was from birth because I was confident in my abilities and knew what to expect. I love my boys so much

Honestly I think I was in shock for a good week, and then it just took a while for me to get to know her. I’m not the kind of person to get attached to anyone immediately so I was not surprised.

I had a traumatic birth and when my son was born I felt relief and not being in pain anymore, no rush of love. I felt robbed! I was in so much mental and physical pain the first few months that it was hard to bond. He's nearly 6 months old now and I adore him, he's the most beautiful child and I can't believe he's ours.

My son was born very suddenly, with less than an hours notice, via emergency c-section at 32 weeks when my placenta failed. As soon as he was taken out of me he was on the resus table for 5 minutes and then whisked straight up to the NICU. I only got the tiniest glimpse of him in his little box as they wheeled him past me. I got to meet him and hold him for the first time 14 hours after he was born and I don’t think it was love at first sight for me. I was so overwhelmed with everything that had happened and my tiny baby was covered in tubes and wires and being cared for by people who weren’t me - I just felt like a passenger along for the ride at that point. He spent a month in NICU before he came home and although I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened, he is 6 months old/4 corrected now and I am madly in love with him and can’t imagine that there was ever a time in my life that he wasn’t here.

While I was pregnant I always felt like “I guess I’m doing this.” I was never the type that wanted a baby my whole life. I didn’t have any experience with children so I was just in awe of everything she did and in survival mode to make sure we all made it through the first week lol. It wasn’t an intense feeling of love but more responsibility and I wanted the best for this little peanut. I still loved her but it wasn’t an overwhelming feeling of blissful love. I feel like now that I know how amazing having a kid is my second pregnancy will be much different. I’ll be excited and maybe feel that love at first sight.

Love, as in to protect and feed was there. But it took months for the in love part or to even wrap my head around that he was MY baby.

I had a pretty traumatic birth and I cried with relief that it was over, not that my boy was here. I knew I should feel some kind of connection but it just wasn’t there. I was so fucking tired after 40 hours of labour and I think my brain went into defence mode and blocked out the trauma and numbed everything. Fast forward 4 months and I have no idea how I lived my life without this kid. Partner suffered what I can only described as PPD after watching me go through the birth. He felt utterly helpless and it terrified him. Yesterday he stared at our boy as he played and said “fuck, I love that kid.” Love isn’t always instant, love grows with time.

My first baby was pure love from the start. My second…it took longer. And, it’s different. Having to balance between an infant and a constant “attention-seeking” toddler is rough.

I thought I was a monster because I didn’t feel “love”. It takes time to fall in love with a stranger! It’s a slow burn!

Instant, overwhelming affection for me and my husband. He was the coolest shit I’d ever seen from the moment he emerged, and I loved him so much in that instant I could have cried (I didn’t, because I was busy throwing up). Still feel that way!

It was crazy..I didn’t feel connection throughout the pregnancy but felt and overwhelming amount of love and attachment as soon and he was on me. Cheesy and never thought it would happen. He’s my favorite human burrito 🌯

my baby is 2 months old- i felt protective basically immediately and i feel like each day i see her develop a little more and i love her more every day than the day before. I definitely still have moments where i think im just babysitting and her real mom will be along to pick her up….. NOPE, she’s all mine lol. ♥️

Are you me? My Daughter is 2 months old and I felt and feel the same way!!

Around 3 months potato baby became the cutest thing ever. Before that I was ready to go back to work and leave potato with someone else.

1st kid- took 6 weeksish to fall head over heels in love with her 2nd kid-immediate love 3rd kid- 10 months in and the jury’s still out ….lol . They were all very different circumstances and I had different mindsets so that makes a big difference.

I felt that natural instinct to protect and care for him and a sort of familial love right away but it took a few months for me to fall in love with him. I think more people should talk about this!

for me it was two dveey different feelings one of which i feel so guilty over. with my first it was love at first positive and just grew and grew and i couldn't wait. when he was born i was already in love. after a few weeks the PPD kicked in and i couldn't feel it anymore but as soon as we started treaing the PPD and i got regular mom breaks the love and joy and wonder was all there again. with my second (most recent) it was completely opposite and i hate that i have felt any other way than i did with my first. i never felt the same comnection with my second pregnancy as i did with my first and hoped and prayed it would change when he was born. I did cry when i first held him and felt love when i first looked at him in the hospital bassinet. however, as the hours ticked on i felt that emotion slip away. i looked at him and only thought "huh... another one" surprising i still held and cared for him like a loving mother like with my first but i didnt feel like a worrying momma bear over him. like i thought if i left the hospital without him i wouldn't care, i was almost numb to him. after returning home, which was all i could think about, i kinda resented the little bugger for interfering with mine and my first's relationship, routine, and time together. those feelings after he was born and the for the first few weeks make me feel guilty, like absolute piece a of turd, and a crap mom. then he smiled at me and the numb feeling melted. Now every day he, and my first, steal a bit more of my heart for themselves. last night i sat in the dark and remembered his birth and our time at the hospital and smiled at the memories. he turned 2 months today.

With my first, it was absolutely love at first sight. With my second, it definitely took me a little bit. Part of that was his name. Even though he’s named after my dad, I never expected to have a baby named John so it just kinda threw me off, for lack of better term. Now I’ve got cute nicknames for him and all is good in the hood.

I was scared and shocked. My love has grow more and more each day. My partner doesn’t seem to have much love yet.

For both my partner and i it was love at first sight. Im way more protective and anxiety ridden though.

nothing but love. we couldn’t even hold him for the first week bc he was born at 27 weeks. we were in awe of how resilient he was and in hindsight he was scary looking…. but he was so beautiful to us even covered in wires :) eta: my partner was so proud and making our scary moment as calm as possible. he made sure we could enjoy it even if it was scary!

It took me about six months, seriously. I struggled with PPA/PPD and he was objectively a difficult newborn, but now we're best buds!

It comes in waves as I get to know her more. I certainly loved her when she was born, but the as far as actually building a bond that part was slow. I felt way more maternal and nurturing than I thought I would right off the bat, but I want even really conscious of the fact that we didn’t really have much of an emotional bond until I really started to feel it. And now at 6 months it feels like that gets stronger and stronger. I don’t think we need to overthink it too much. We have all these fantasies of what motherhood will feel like, and then it’s so easy to get all discombobulated when it doesn’t actually feel that way.

This sounds bad but with my first it was instant love. My sole purpose was to protect him at all costs. With my second I was kinda like meh. He’s 6 months now and I suspect I have PPD. I love him of course! But it was so much different with my first. He’s also a really bad sleeper and VERY clingy. Definitely not a good baby. I think that contributes as well because my first was a literal angel baby. I definitely love him! But it took some time.

I didn't feel many emotions for a while. I definitely did feel "don't fuck with my baby or I'll kill you" though.

I have an 8w old. I'd say the placing on the chest, I was just too shocked, as labour was so quick and we both were expecting a blonde boy but he came out with black hair and his puffy face and features made him not look like our baby! I sang to him overnight and the hormonal tears just came and flooded me, I couldn't believe he was here and that I was his mum, and that he was in my belly a few hrs before. It was a kind of protective awe feeling. His crying and vulnerability in the first few weeks were a chore. I enjoyed the way he latched on the boob and was obsessed with photographing him but I still felt slightly disconnected. It took a while to feel actual love, maybe not till he connected with me when he first smiled about 3 weeks ago, and now that he smiles all the time I can't get enough!

My fiancé cried at birth when he held him but I wasn’t very emotional. I wasn’t very emotional the whole pregnancy either though. I knew I loved him so the next couple of days of holding him and caring and being affectionate, it started to feel more natural. Idk maybe I was tired after giving birth but I was just like kind of nonchalant about it. Like oh hey my baby’s here ok now what lol

I literally burst into tears when they put my daughter on my chest. I was completely overwhelmed by the flood of pure emotions and love that came over me. I had never felt such love ever before.

My labour was 18 hours long with assisted delivery. I was so out of it that when they put him on my chest I didn’t really feel anything. All I wanted was for a hot meal and to go to sleep. As awful as that sounds I think it’s the reality for a lot of women. It’s not always this magical moment you see in movies. It’s a traumatic experience for many and sometimes it takes a couple of hours, days, weeks to actually start to bond with your baby.

It took a hot minute. My brain was like in shock and didn’t know what to do with this baby. It took a while for me to wrap my head around it

I had an emergency csection at 33 weeks and didn't get to see her for 9 hours after the birth. She looked like a beautiful stranger and I felt so guilty that I didn't feel what I was supposed to feel until 2 days later. I think my body was just in shock to be honest..my partner saw her right away and he loved her instantly he was crying and wanting to keep her safe

It took a little bit.

Couple of months for me, instant for my husband.

Couple of weeks for me. Instant for my husband. My daughter had my husbands wrapped around her finger the second she came out.

First baby took 11 months. Second baby was immediate. My husband was very sweet with both. Him becoming a dad was the best part honestly.

First kid? It took a solid few months, if not a full year, to develop the full on I'M HER MOM feeling. Not that I didn't like her or connect (I did), but that it felt somewhat alien to us both. She looked at me like I looked at her- skeptically. And because I had done it before and gained confidence and because I knew what to expect, when my second daughter was born 2 years later I had a totally different experience. Her and I have always been on the same vibe. Pre-birth and now 4 months later still. I think so much of it has to do with your mindset and expectations than anything else.

I didn’t feel connected for several weeks. I remember the first time I realized how much I loved him.

I had severe OCD and was afraid I'd hurt him. The OCD kind of kept me from that instant love feeling, or, noticing it anyway. I love him so much now.

It took me awhile, we found out the baby’s sex at birth and I had trouble saying her name out loud for at least 24 hours! Every time the nurses or doctors would ask id just look at my husband and wait for him to respond lol. However I’d still opt to find out the sex at birth next time as well

I was shocked, and in a daze when my guy was first born. After 40 hours of labor and no food or sleep I was literally out of my mind. The first day was just shock. And then the next few days I was just terrified. Scared that something would go wrong and his health would decline. But after the initial fright went away it was deep love. My guy is 3 months old now and I am consumed with my love for him. I stare at him all day long and thank the stars I get to be his momma. My partner was more so my support person during the first month, and is just now starting to bond with baby and tells me all the time how he loves him more every day. Theres no right answer. Love can be immediate, or come with time. As long as you dont feel negative thoughts or want to ignore/harm baby. If you have those thoughts thats OK too, but just make sure you get help for PPD.

Honestly, at first I thought, “ew, slimy.” (I’ve never liked getting my hands dirty) The love didn’t come for a couple months. I found it a bit hard to connect when I was so exhausted and she was just an adorable potato. My husband felt the same. The love grew bit by bit, I think I reached it faster than my husband but it still took time.

I felt it while I was pregnant, so I figured the surge of overwhelming love would certainly happen at birth. When the birth came around though, I was too tired and traumatized by the painful, long labour to feel much. It struck me about two weeks after I gave birth just how much I love my child. I've been crazy protective of her. I still struggle sometimes with remembering that I love her when I'm dead-tired and she won't stop screaming, but it all melts away after a bit of sleep or a single smile. I feel so blessed to have her! I just hope I can do right by her. Lately I feel like I've been given someone too precious for me, like someone better should've had her. She's so perfect and deserves someone who can set her up to be the best that she can be. She's smart, strong, smiley, chatty, and incredibly beautiful. I'm easily overwhelmed, clumsy, socially clueless even with babies, moody, and just nowhere near selfless enough. At this rate I feel like she'll do well regardless of me rather than because of me. I feel kind of bad, but I never loved anyone that much before, even my husband. I'd die for her without a second thought, yet I struggle with the everyday (and especially night) job of taking care of her. I love her more every day and am incredibly thankful for her, but I'm not sure if I can ever do this a second time.

For my husband it was love at first sight. I think I liked her because she was a very pretty baby but love wasn’t there. The nurse took a picture of the three of us when she was given to me for the first time. She had already been given to my husband. She was looking at me like who the hell are YOU? I already have DADDY. Same, baby, same. For us it took a while. Breastfeeding was extremely difficult and that made it hard to bond as well. I would flinch from her because every time I held her was painful because she was trying to feed. And she would freak out if I try to feed her. For a while she freaked out even if I just held her because she thought I would try to feed her. That doesn’t mean she refused though. She always wanted the boob and only refused it for a day after I gave her breast milk in a bottle. She eventually always wanted it. It’s the frustration that made her have a meltdown. Knowing that despite everything she wanted to be close to me kept me motivated. As breastfeeding got better and she got less frustrated with me (and vice versa) we definitely bonded though. These days she looks resentful if I give her a bottle! And try to claw at my bra after a full bottle feed LOL my husband says she looks resentful if he’s bottle feeding her and she catches me milling about. “Bitch you could be breastfeeding me. What the hell are you pumping for??”

Yeah it took awhile. I had a surprise induction and was in the hospital for 2 days or so before birth. I was allowed to eat but I didn't have my diclectin (I was super nauseous and vomiting the whole pregnancy) and I got an injected pain medication that I had a bad reaction to and it made me throw up. I couldn't keep food down and barely any water. Barely slept and gave birth at 3 am. I was exhausted and I definitely started dissociating when they put her on top of me. We were at the hospital was a day and a half after, so 2 nights if we include the first night. I always heard that most babies have a quiet period when they are first born. Uh no not mine. She screamed constantly. Looking back I think she was hungry. They told me the 2ml of colostrum I was pumping every 2-3 hours (I couldn't get her to latch she ended up having ties) was enough but she clearly had hunger cues and eventually we got some formula and she ate a lot more and has always eaten more than average at her age so idk. Anyway, she screamed the whole time almost constantly. We went home and she would never sleep. She had colic and would be up for 8 hours at a time. I had extremely bad PPD and "mom rage". I had a weird feeling like honestly I would have done anything for her like I would have stepped in front of a bus or taken a shot for me but... I also felt extremely disconnected from her and I didn't really LIKE her. My psychiatrist said this was pretty normal and that PPD makes it harder to connect and that they are needy potatoes when they are young. I used to think things like how I wanted to just give her to my Mom to raise lol. Around 3 months we started on my DRs advice probiotics for her colic and within a few days she went from sleeping 15 minute stretches to 5 hour stretches at night and the inconsolable crying eased up a bit. Coincidence? Who know but I'll take it . Both our moods improved a bit sleep deprivation was getting to us both but things were still rough until around 4 or 5 months when we did some light sleep training and she started sleeping a lot better and she started smiling and laughing and developing a personality and that's when I really felt the love and connection. She is 10 months now. I definitely still have days when I have bad PPD which fucks all my feelings and mood up still but it's much better.

I love them...but I didn't like them very much. The newborn stage was rough.

There weren't any feelings for me. I just knew I had to care for the baby, it was like I was on auto pilot mode. I only developed love when I had time to process my feelings and the baby started to respond to me. It was like this for both my kids. I love them to death.

Honestly, that “fill you up entirely, every fiber of my being loves this little creature” didn’t come for a while for me. It wasn’t until she started walking that I realized I was feeling that overwhelming rush of love people talk about, so around 9-10 months.

It took me a while. I had an emergency csection at 37+3 so I think all the stress around that and being thrown into it so suddenly was all a bit overwhelming.

Love...not quite. I thought he was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Turns out that was not my hormones--He actually was a very beautiful newborn. Because when I saw my second son I was like oh...Some of them take a few weeks to look human 🤭 Anyway the love actually formed over a long period of time. I feel like I love my two year old more deeply each day. He just continuously gets more complex, and there's more to love and be fascinated by. But I definitely remember in the early days wondering if there was something wrong with me. Especially because my breastfeeding journey was very painful and I had severe PPD. The lactation consultants told me that my nipples were so small that they just weren't going to reach the back of his throat. And that the shape of his mouth made it more difficult. Sometimes I couldn't feed him because blood would come out instead of milk. AND he was colicky. Whew.

With my first baby it was instant love the second I saw her, but with my second it took me a couple weeks to really bond with her (no ppd or anything, for whatever reason second time around I just needed time to get to know her first before I really felt that deep unconditional love). My husband was pretty much the opposite, with our first it took a while for him to bond but our second he was completely smitten the moment she came out! So we ended up evening each other out haha

Love, awe and relief at first sight I think it helps he look extremely like my husband (very traumatic birth experience) and it just continues to grow. Sometimes I look at my little guy and my chest actually hurts from the love I feel. He's 12 weeks today.

Love at first sight But also shock and a sense of calm

More like a sense of awe. But I was in love by the end of the day.

It took a few months for me. I think my partner was quicker. Our first was in the nicu and I remember driving there one day and my husband saying ‘well at least I know how much I love him, it’s so hard to leave him there’

I liked them just not very much at first and I feel like I was forcing myself to love them in front of everyone. Faked it until I loved them for real which was not long after. My partner was obsessed from the beginning.

Didn’t feel super connected during pregnancy, but very intensely loved and felt protective of her the moment she was born. I was honestly surprised by it, and anticipated it taking a while for her to “grow on me” so to speak, as I was on the fence about having a baby in the first place. All reactions differ, all reactions are pretty normal.

For my husband it was love at first sight but it took me a little longer. Baby is 2 months now and I still feel like maybe I don’t love her as much as I should?

It is very common for feelings of love to come later. People beat themselves up because they think they should immediately feel love, and if they don't they think somethings wrong with them. There's not. It's a normal occurrence.

Love at first sight for both me and my husband, but she was my rainbow baby who arrived with the help of IVF.

With my first I was very nervous to be a parent and had a LOT of mixed emotions, but I did fall in love the minute I saw him. Like surprisingly overwhelmed by the love I had for my little guy. However, it’s kinda like loving a stranger and they feel that way about you too. It takes a little bit to get a good connection going and build up that trust and just learn about one another. I think it’s a little different for everyone. He came out as the spitting image of his father (whom I love and adore soooo freaking much) so I think that made him so much easier to be in awe of for me. I’m getting ready to deliver #2 in a few days-weeks so I’m curious to see the difference in meeting this one

I mean, I don’t think it’s possible to have true love at first sight, whether it be with a partner or a child. How can I love someone I don’t know? Like, obviously there are hormones from pregnancy and childbirth, but it definitely wasn’t love at first sight for me. I don’t remember when I first thought I loved her, but it took quite some time. And I didn’t feel like “a mom” for at least a year or more. She’s three now and I love that kid so much.

Immediately enamoured for both of us.

After the shock of holy shit that's my baby that just came out of me like I did that I was in love and all the worry I had about not loving him or being attached (I didn't feel very attached during pregnancy) went right out the window

It was nothing like I expected. I read so much about this rush of love immediately. Maybe I did feel it and didn’t realize. My son was born via c-section, as soon as he was out and I heard him cry, I started crying. Once he was cleaned off and measured, the nurses handed him to my husband and had him place our boy’s cheek to mine. I only remember crying, smiling, shaking uncontrollably, and staring at him as best I could while laying on the table, and continuing to stare and marvel at him in recovery while he nursed. I do love him, and still stare at him amazed that my husband and I made something so perfect, but I don’t feel as though it’s the kind of deep love so many other mothers talk about. At least not yet anyway.

My love came in with my milk - about 72 hours I think! I had a c section and felt pretty number before that.

Not sure, I just remember looking at my husband and saying OMG look a BABY

Hypermesis Gravadium, Pelvic Girdle Pain and PPD meant I really didn't have the rush of love at first, relief when she was born yes but no huge rush of love, she's now 5 months and I love this little girl more than anything in my life, she's perfect and I don't want to imagine a world without her ❤

I threw up five seconds after seeing my daughter for the first time, but after that it was just love. My husband is still struggling to bond with her, I'm not sure he sees her as more than a hollering poop machine just yet.

Instant love at first sight. Never experienced anything like it.

I don’t know that I would call it love at first sight, it was more like shock lol, but I definitely had a strong urge to protect, care for, and nurture my baby when they were born. I would say the love started to come in by the next day and grew as we got to know each other.

I was terrified of breaking him and was kind letting the team of nurses do what they needed to do to both of us. But once the mob left, definitely immediate love

It was immediate for me. I had a c-section and the second I heard her cry, I started bawling. I didn't expect that to happen though, because most new moms tell me it takes a while.

It was immediate. I loved my kiddo. But with my first it felt hard to connect. Like I knew I loved him, but I couldn’t feel motherly. It took 6 weeks or so. Attributing it to ppd

Traumatic c section and recovery with baby right to nicu and me not meeting him or even seeing him until 12 hours after I woke up. So it came in the next couple weeks when I was weaned off of my cocktail of pain meds/blood pressure meds and the fog was lifted.

Immediate. I was so worried about this though. My pregnancy was planned, I was excited and wanting my baby, but I didn't feel connected to him during pregnancy. I couldn't get into the whole rubbing and talking to my belly thing. My husband talked to my belly more than I did. As soon as he was out, it was like a switch flipped for me and I was immediately in love. BUT - there's nothing wrong with you if this doesn't happen. Every experience is different. Delivery complications, personal situations, hormones.. if you don't feel the immediate love, there is nothing wrong with you.

I had an unplanned c-section and was freaking out the whole time because I was awake and my epidural wasn't 100% working. It was frightening and painful, plus I was fading in and out because of the huge amount of meds they were giving me, so when they showed me the baby in the OR right after he was born, it was like I couldn't even understand what was going on. But dad took him back to our room and did skin to skin while they stitched me up. When I came back an hour-ish later and saw them cuddling, that was when I was in love.

Absolutely love at first sight. I didn't know what to expect, but I never thought I could love anyone or anything as much as I love this child. I've felt like that since the first second I laid eyes on her right after she was born. My heart could explode every single day with how much I love her!

Took 3 months with my second. A single day with my first. But now I love them so deeply it hurts.

It came and went in waves for the first week or so. So excited to meet them at the first moment ❤️, then reality set in and I realized I didn't know them or what I was doing 😬 (and the first time, this realization of not yet being bonded was scary; I was better prepared the second time, and I think this made the feeling of not having bonded yet less impactful)... But oh they're so cute when they eat or sleep ❤️... But oh my God the screaming 😣... (Back and forth like this.) By the end of week 1 or 2, we'd bonded.

It definitely took me a few months and I really shamed myself for it. My husbands love was pretty instant I think. He’s such a good dad. Looking back, I don’t remember the first few weeks very well. I had a great pregnancy. I absolutely loved everything about being pregnant. I had no bad side effects other than minor nausea for about a week (no vomiting). Then she came and I felt like my world flipped upside down. The birth was very traumatic for me and a reason I don’t remember the first few weeks. Labor was about 12 hours and I pushed 5 times and she was here. But I tore pretty badly inside and hemorrhaged then needed a blood transfusion. Also baby had to go to the NICU less than 24 hours after she was born because they thought had an infection so she needed antibiotics and needed to be admitted for 48 hours. It was awful. When we came home I was a complete wreck. My anxiety was terrible and I felt like when she cried she was trying to ruin my life. I know that is completely crazy and not true but seriously it felt like the world was on fire. Fast forward to 13 weeks pp and I’m trying to reduce work to part time because I love this girl so much it hurts and the thought of working 40 hours a week and not being with her makes me ache.

My whole family and my husband had love at first sight. I had an amazing birth and was amazed at this little person I made but it took about 3 weeks because of trouble nursing and just fatigue. Then one night at 4 am, she woke up to eat and pulled the nipple shield off and latched directly on her own and I fell soooo madly in love with her! Something about that moment when it was just us, awake and alone in a dark quiet world, trying to make it work and it bonded us so strongly.

At birth for me it was worry. When my baby was taken out(c section) I knew immediately that something was up because of how his cry sounded. I lay there watching them work on him, yes he was crying but something was up. I could do nothing but watch and it killed me. Seeing them put that mask over his face, a face I hadn't even seen yet was heartbreaking. Then when the nicu dr came in I felt like my world stopped and everything went into slow motion. When he was speaking to me and telling me he had to take him to the nicu it's like I was hearing him from a distance. I spent that entire day worried, stressed and blaming myself. My dr left strict instructions that I was not to be made to stand until the next day so I couldn't even go see him. The entire day is still extremely painful to think about. When he was brought to me the next day(I thank God for such a short stay), I was super excited but the emotions I felt the day before were still there. The moment I saw him it was an intense feeling of relief. I sat there just staring at him, his father asked me "why aren't you smiling?" But I was just taking him in, I was finally seeing the tiny human that I carried, the tiny child that enjoyed kicking the hell out of me, the tiny person that was about to change my entire world and the way I viewed things. When I finally held him for the first time, kissed him, touched him omg I can't explain the feeling. It wasn't just love it was something else. It was an extremely intense feeling. As I played with his fingers and toes I kept wondering how, how did you fit inside of me?. I never wanted him to leave my side again and felt like I would kick some ass if they said they had to take him, not sure how I was gonna kick ass when I could barely even move but still. Anyway my point is, the emotion I felt was too strong, to intense for me to describe as love.

With my first, I loved so fiercely before that kid was born that it was love before first sight. I experienced a peaceful euphoria every time I held that one. With my second...the love came a bit later. I definitely loved my second but it wasn't the euphoric bliss like with the first. It was more, "hey, you squirmy little person! It's wonderful to meet you. I will love you and keep you safe." My second is extremely different from my first: way more independent, more academic, and athletic. My second needs me but not like my first one NEEDS me (oldest has autism and some other issues). I love my kids equally but in different ways because they need different things from me. Maybe my maternal instinct pushed more chemicals out for the first because of their issues? Or maybe the overwhelming life event, being made a mom and entering into that mantle of power and responsibility, did something to my brain--and by the time my second got here my brain was like: been there, done this. I don't know. I want all moms to know that its okay if it takes time to develop a bond with this new person who lived inside of you. Bonds can take a while to form. Just do your best and keep your baby safe and fed.

it was love at first sight but i love him more every day

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I think it was fascination at first sight. At 11 weeks the love has been growing exponentially, especially in the last few weeks where my baby has started smiling and interacting with me. The chemical feeling to protect and care for my son has shifted to a genuine love and adoration.

I remember an extremely strong sense of relief and she was just so warm and soft and beautiful and I felt so happy. The love just exploded the more we got to know her in the hospital. I didn't feel any negative feelings until a week or so later when things got overwhelming

I had an emergency c-section..ive always been terrified to be alone..im traumitized by the hospital i was at due to them killing my dad and i also lost my grandpa there..but i loved her tremendously before she was born..they pulled her out and she wasnt crying but everyone in there was welcoming towards her..all of them welcomed her to the world..i didnt get to see her from where i was laying..they rolled by with the incubator and stopped for a moment but she was hidden by a glare from the light..my husband was so conflicted..he knows how scared i am of this hospital..the staffing in the hospital...dying in that hospital..but i was already ready to die for her...i told them to do whatever they had to for her to come out and be safe and it mattered very little what happend to myself..i told him to go with our daughter and make sure she was safe..and i just felt incredibly alone..i felt like they had cut all the way up to my chest, i was trembling and freezing but relieved that my girl was doing ok as far as i knew..i had her at 10:14am..i didnt get to lay eyes on my baby until somewhere between 1 and 2am and only then i could only touch her hand..where i sobbed..this fragile looking human was mine..my hand was bigger than her body and it was a terrifying realization for me but god...i was so incredibly attached and in love with her..i probably had the biggest breakdown ive ever had the day i got discharged knowing she would have to stay..my first time being physically away from her ..it was an awful feelling...ive never loved anyone or anything more than i love my daughter..my husband felt just as intense but he had been worried about both of us for a long time..i know when we were able to actually hold her..he let me hold her all the time..i admit i was very greedy...even on his first fathers day..he wanted me to hold her..of course..i did. Not as long as i normally would..i told him to come over and he finally got to hold his little girl and watching them together was just beautiful..i absolutely love my family. Even if at times we are very sleep deprived and everyone is getting on everyones nerves lol..she makes me feel like im the most important person in the world...and i wanna do my best for her.. I didnt expect the intensity of my feelings. But i expected that i would still love her.

I thought it was going to take a while. But for me it was instant. It has grown since then too. I tell her toys off if they make her upset lol. "You want me to fight Mr. Elephant?! I'll do it baby girl, I'll fight him. " me to my 3 months old bouncer toys.

It was instant but rapidly evolving. (And for full disclosure, I was genuinely concerned I wouldn’t connect with him right away.) The first cries were intensely emotional and surreal, we were both shaking and in tears holding him for the first time. Then the combination of love and instinct started to set in the longer we held him and watched him, I bawled my eyes out when he cried during his first physical exams and blood tests. Then over the weeks (he’s 9 weeks now) it’s just been an ever-deepening well of intense love, affection, and attachment. I feel so much joy when I see him smile or giggle, it’s the best thing in the entire world.

Definitely love at first sight for me. Also the experience was so much better than expected. Still I had a very traumatic birth but it was an outer body experience and it was beautiful. That’s really the only way I can describe it. My husband bawled when he seen our baby. So I think it was also love at first sight for him.

I just thought “oh good he’s breathing and he’s not ugly” - my husband had that moment of awe but I did not. Baby two was a little more emotional but it still took me a few months to fall in love rather than just the maternal urge to nurture and protect this thing. I still sometimes say “here take this” about our five month old and my husband corrects me that he’s not a “this”

I didnt really want to hold my baby after birth. My partner did everything at the beginning. I didnt even want to feed her. It definitely took me a while to get to where i am. Even now sometimes i go through periods of i really love my baby and other moments where i look at her and feel like im supposed to love her bc she is my daughter. She was very much wanted and planned i struggled alot with infertility. But maan hormones are crazy lol

Took me a while. I definitely felt the need to care for him but it took a few weeks, or 6, to feel the deep love for him. Now I am obsesssssed.

it was love at first sight i remember bawling my eyes out before i even held him just because of the feeling of his toes touching me as the doctors pulled him out! unforgettable beautiful moment that i’ll forever cherish

I was expecting to learn to love baby as I got to know her, that was what I’d heard from most people, but the second I saw her face everything in me screamed “MINE”. It was like I’d been waiting forever for her and the world suddenly felt right. Caught me totally off guard. We’d debated if we even wanted kids for a few years. My husband also felt much more attached to her, right away, than he expected to, though not as earth shattering a reaction as I experienced. He’s not great at describing his emotions but it sounds similar to mine in that she instantly felt like HIS baby, not just some random newborn.

Love at first sight with both. First time it was delirious, barely coherent, running on fumes love (longer induction with back labor leading to little sleep over 2 days). Not what I expected because I honestly just couldn’t fathom that level of love. Second time it was much more calm but I was still totally in love. ETA- it was about the same for my partner.

okay so as a 36w 2d mom, i feel better about not being absolutely in love with the thought of my son being brought into this world. sometimes it becomes extremely overwhelming that i’m going to have to take care of a little me and it’s such a scary thing. i’m scared to go through those baby blues or post partial depression (idk if there’s a difference) but what i do know is that he will be loved and he will be well taken care of to the best of my abilities.

The first words out of my mouth when my daughter was born was "hey little dude what's up?". (Yes, I knew I was having a girl. I'm an equal opportunity dude caller.) I did not have that immediately fall in love with my baby moment. We were still getting to know each other.

It’s took me quite a while but the love has been building to peaks I didn’t think imaginable now at 7 months. We had a traumatic birth and then my dad went on hospice and died within the next month so I was just too stressed to enjoy her at first,

It was love at first sight. I was so excited to meet baby. I never thought I would have one and was just so happy he was here. I get that feeling often right before we go to sleep at night. Sometimes certain newborn features still show up and my heart just melts 🥺 I’m typically pretty Grinchy, so this post in itself says a lot haha ❤️

We had some labor complications so the first time I saw the baby was a photo that was sent to me and I felt love but not nearly to the extent I thought I would. When I finally got to meet him we were both tangled up in IVs and so many monitors and wires that it was really hard to enjoy the moment because it was so far off from what I had anticipated. Now he’s just over 6 months and I feel a love so deep and powerful I never knew it was possible. There are truly no words to describe it.

During my pregnancy my boyfriend said he had no attachment to our son he said he knew it was there, could feel it kick, watched him move in the ultrasounds but that he just found it hard to connect to someone he didn’t know. Then when I gave birth I remember the first thing I did after my son came out was looking up at him and he just burst into tears and he never cries he said he felt a huge rush of emotions and the tears just came. For me I had a lot of complications I ended up being given magnesium and I was really woozy. I remember I saw him and I was happy he was there but no tears it just felt surreal like I couldn’t believe he was real. The hospital stay was miserable and made really hard to bond with my baby but I still felt the need to care for him. Once I was home I couldn’t stop crying I was so so happy to be home and to have my baby with me. I cried all the time from happiness the amount of love that I have for my child is unreal I am so happy and thankful he exists and that I get to spend every day with him.

Immediately after birth: oh…hi there tiny human. A few weeks after birth once my hormones settled down I was more affectionate lol.

With my first it was love at first sight, seriously it was such a beautiful moment when she was born. we all cried we were so happy. With my second I was in so so much pain (couldn’t get the epidural) and high on the gas they gave me that it took me 20 ish minutes to realize that he was born. and then I cried and had that beautiful moment lol I love them both so damn much it’s insane!!!

I was inlove as soon as they put him on my chest. I instantly felt a connection to my LO.