I didnt even like him for the first six months.
But now… hes great!
Hes the coolest kid.
I feel very neutral about everything.
I do not have any feelings of happiness that I am a father with my loving wife.
I do not have any feelings of sadness due to her complications either.
Just like looking at a blank piece of paper to me.
It is completely a numb/neutral feeling.
I feel no different than if I were to look at another baby in the unit.
Honestly, this is the troubling part to me.
I am upset with myself that I do not feel happy or attached.
When it comes to bonding with a baby, it doesnt always happen right away.
And bonding can come slower to dads, who do not physically carry, deliver or breastfeed the baby.
The birth may have been long and traumatic.
The mother may be suffering from depression or anxiety, which can affect her ability to bond.
Dont panic if you dont feel overwhelmed with love at first.
Feeding: Look into the babys eyes while theyre breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
Chat it up: Babies love to be talked to and smiled at.
It doesnt matter as long as they can hear your voice and begin to respond to it.
Their overwhelming advice was to give it time.
It was so surreal and heartbreaking.
He is the light of my life and I still regret I ever felt that way.
And u/mariah_papaya111 offered these words of encouragement:
Do not beat yourself up for this.
Having a baby is like dropping a bomb on your life, and you are legitimately shell-shocked.
Dont worry, it wont always be this insane.
Those first six weeks or so (even without health complications!)
are a total disastrous mindfuck.
Literally everyone feels like this.
Maybe notliterallyeveryone feels like this, but lots of people do.
Recognizing it and wanting to change it are prime indications that youre already a good parent.
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