When, at birth, you encounter your actual baby, reality may force you to adjust your mental picture. Because a baby's face is the primary tool of communication, it plays a critical role in bonding and attachment. Bonding may, therefore, be delayed if your baby has cranial problems or facial deformities. Sometimes it takes longer for adoptive parents to bond with their babies, according to Dr. Shrager. But it is possible to make up for lost weeks or even months.
Hormones can significantly affect bonding.
Nursing a baby in the first hours of life causes the outpouring of 19 different hormones in mothers and infants. Sometimes mothers have difficulty bonding with their baby when their hormones are raging and they suffer postpartum depression . Bonding may also be delayed when mom's exhausted and in pain following a prolonged, difficult delivery. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.