You may do, but try not to worry if you don’t. Some, but not all, parents feel a deep attachment to their baby straight after the birth. The hormone oxytocin, which is released during pregnancy and in greater amounts during labour, helps to create a feeling of euphoria and love for your newborn. You may feel an overwhelming urge to protect your baby from the first moment you see her.
For other parents, strong feelings of attachment take a little longer to develop. You may simply feel too tired after your baby’s birth to bond with her straight away. Or perhaps you had a long labour, or a difficult birth, and this has affected your feelings.
Your baby may have been born with a health problem, which may make you feel worried or distressed. Or perhaps you feel disappointed about your baby’s gender. These feelings are understandable and entirely normal.
If you have twins, you may find bonding with both your babies a challenge at first. It may be that one baby needs to be cared for in the neonatal unit (NNU) while your other baby stays with you on the postnatal ward.
If that’s the case, your midwife will encourage you to visit the NNU as often as possible to help the bonding process along.
If you can’t be physically close to your baby, your midwife may give you pictures of her. Looking at pictures of your new baby can help you to bond with her. Just seeing an image of your baby may also help you to express milk for her while she is being cared for in the NNU.
Original article: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a658/bonding-after-birth
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