Motherhood Is Instinctive. First-time mothers often believe that they should automatically know how to care for a newborn. In fact, new mothers need to learn mothering skills just as they learn any other important life skill. It takes time and patience. It takes reading child care books, watching experienced child care givers, talking with experienced mothers, and perhaps attending a class.
Confidence usually grows as a mother's skills grow.
In fact, some women feel very little for their infants at first. Mother love, like mothering skills, is not automatic. Bonding usually takes days or even weeks. Most women have vivid fantasies and dreams about what their newborn will look like. When the baby arrives, mothers have to realize that their newborn may not match the baby of their dreams.