Insta-Bonding?

I write this post with a snoozing infant in my arms (actually, just my left arm: the right arm is free for me to type.) Yes, this entire post will be typed using just one hand, via the modified hunt-and-peck method LOL!

I wanted to talk about that magical, natural yet supernatural thing called bonding. Since I only have one hand free, I'll keep this brief. Lots of women feel guilty for not being absolutely enamored with their babies immediately. The women who do have that insta-bond feeling are notorious for being "horrified" at the thought of other mothers who don't bond immediately with their children. These smug women make some mothers feel less-than, simply because their bondng experience is different. I'm here to say, don't beat yourself up. Not every mother feels a super strong bond with their baby immediately. I know that it took several nursing sessions as well as plenty of face-to-face time for me to get that bonded feeling. I went from being my own woman to being a mommy; the 9 months preceding my daughter's birth did little to prep me for the emotional and mental transitions.

Yes, I'll say it. For me, it took TIME. That doesn't mean I didn't love my baby, or that I loved her less than those insta-bond moms. Just means that my bonding journey was different from other moms. All that time together means that my baby already knows my voice and smell: she is immediately calmed when she hears me or I hold her. So I feel that our bonding journey was perfect for us. Honestly, I wouldn't change one thing.