Bonding with newborn is harder than I expected

1d ago·1 min read

I watch guys talking about how amazing bonding with their newborn is and how connected they feel immediately and I'm just like... okay. My daughter is 3 weeks old and honestly she mostly just cries, eats, and poops. I help out with diapers and feeding but my wife seems way more bonded to her already. I feel kind of guilty like I should be feeling more. Does this feeling go away? Or am I just not a baby person and that's okay?

4 comments156 views

Comments(4)

LLucas M.New Dadjust now

I felt like I was just keeping mine alive for the first year. The bonding became real once he could actually do stuff and engage. Don't beat yourself up.

RRob T.Regular22h ago

Eight months in and feeling like it's not clicking yet? That's actually pretty normal, man. Everyone talks about the magical moment but sometimes it's more gradual. You're doing fine.

JJay H.New Dadjust now

At 8 months you're still in the fog of it all. Once he starts responding more and recognizing you specifically, that's when something clicks. Give it time.

DDavid R.New Dad18h ago

The bonding thing everyone talks about is real but it comes at different times for different dads. Don't put pressure on yourself to feel something you're not feeling yet. It develops.