Getting to know you: The reality of bonding with your newborn

We expect to bond with our newborn immediately, but it takes time to get to know your infant and build a relationship

Happy mother standing with baby boy at home. Smiling redhead woman is carrying newborn son in bedroom. They are spending leisure time.

SHE thought there was something wrong with her when she didn’t instantly love her son. Many told her “it’s the most magical time, giving birth”, or “at least your baby’s safe and sound”. But this mum — responding to a survey undertaken by the Parent-Infant Foundation in Britain — found “not everyone feels like that straightaway”.

The survey of over 1,000 women, who had given birth in the last five years, ran for six weeks earlier this year in support of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. It found that more than one in 10 women struggled to bond with their baby in the first few weeks after birth.