Cannot Bond With Your Baby? It’s not Uncommon Ask Your Health Care Professional for Help

Struggling to find a bond with a new baby is not uncommon, yet mums consider it too taboo to talk about.

According to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) 32 per cent of UK mums experience difficulties bonding with their baby.

Yet, 12 per cent said their were too embarrassed to speck to a health professional about the trouble they were having.

In light of these findings, the NCT is urging new mums not to suffer in silence.

NCT Senior Policy Advisor, Elizabeth Duff said: “The bond a baby has with its parents acts as a template that shapes the child’s emotions and relationships later in life so it’s a crucial process.

“Parents who don’t feel an instant connection with their new baby often experience strong feelings of guilt, shame and inadequacy. We hope our research reassures new parents that they are not alone if they don’t instantly bond with their baby and that this can often take time.

“GPs, midwives and health visitors can also play an important role in promoting bonding and it is important that this subject is raised and parents are encouraged to speak up if there is a problem.”

‘Bonding’ is all about the emotional connection between a parent and baby. It’s a crucial development for a baby to have to help them deal with stress, learning and social skills. Postnatal depression and anxiety are two key factors for inhibiting a bonding process.

Elizabeth Duff urges parents to seek advice, saying it is usually easy to build or re-establish a relationship with their baby, even if it feels difficult to begin with.

The NCT is pushing its #BeyondBabyBlues to urge mums to talk more openly about maternal mental health and importantly, get help.

For more help and advice, visit www.nct.org.uk