I just need to know its okay...

I dont feel bonded with my baby  Don't get me wrong, I love her. But I feel like I should love her more. I can't explain it. I care for her, but I kinda feel like im just going through the motions. I feed her when shes hungry, I cuddle and hold her. I wake up to her every cry, and even wake up half asleep and freak out if I don't see her (when my husband has put her in her crib I freak out and say, "Where's my baby?!") But I don't feel bonded with her. I don't feel that overwhelming gushing love that I hear about. Is there something wrong with me?  
I do suffer from depression. And im just going through the motions, doing what needs to be done. Take care of the baby, clean the house, do the dishes, make dinner, do the laundry, vacuum the house, take care of MIL, wait for DH to come home, try to sneak in a nap... Is this normal? Will I eventually feel that overwhelming gushing love for my daughter? Does it ever just take time or do I just suck as a mom?
Advice, and personal stories please. Just need some reassurance and comfort.
Thanks.
BTW, my baby girl is 3 week tomorrow.

It sounds like PPD, maybe try talking to a counselor?

I'm going thru the exact same thing and DD is 2 I haven't felt that gushing love ever and everything is just getting worse. PM me if you need to talk

It's a completely normal thing! Don't worry hun, I've been thru it and in sure hundreds of us on this site have too. You're not alone at all. Don't feel bad. Sounds a tad bit like PPD to me. Have you talked to your OBGYN about how you're feeling? If you need anyone to talk to about anything to hesitate to ask  it helps to get it out especially with someone who's gone thru exactly what you are now. You're doing a great job!

To me it sounds normal. You love her and take care of her. That's what matters most!

I always felt like that with my kids, I had no PPD at all, I just amd not a gush over the heels person over anything.

But thats me, if you feel like you need to talk about it with your dr, you should do it.

i dont feel i have that gushing love either, hes 4 months old/? im pretty sure i dont have PPD . i care about my child so much & i attend to every need but no gushing love here. its hard to explain.

It took time with me too, I didn't have PPD though. I just didn't get the bonding experience with her like most mamas get. I had a c-section and then she ended up in the NICU for a week. I deff feel the gushing love for her now, I mean I have bonded much more with her than I did at first. I just love cuddling up with her, and when she breastfeeds I deff feel a lot of bonding with her. I will just run my fingers through her hair and just think of how lucky I am to have her. She means the world to me, and my love gets stronger for her every day. Especially now she shows me love back, like wants to be with me more and looks for me if someone else holds her. She will grab on to my arm and lay her head on me, it is the cutest thing ever.

IP just give it time. You're feeling over whelmed and sounds like you don't get much "you time" it's hard when you have an Infant that relies on you for every single thing and is so needy. Don't worry. It does get better!

It sounds normal to me, I would just give it some time. Not everyone bonds with baby right away.

I've been confused by this too. I love my baby who is almost 5 weeks old but sometimes I can't wait to go somewhere without him. I've left a few times and he's stayed home with my husband and I've thought to myself is it bad that I don't want to go home yet. I hear other moms say they can't imagine leaving their baby but I don't feel that way at all it's easy for me to leave but I'm a very independent person and I also like to be on the go. I've thought wow there is something wrong with me cause when i do go out without the baby people I know are always like I can't believe you don't have your baby and I'm like omg I'm a terrible mom for leaving my baby and not feeling bad...ugh! If you need to talk feel free! Hope my story somewhat makes you feel better.

Thanks ladies. These stories help a lot. I'm glad I'm not alone. And I will bring it up to my doctor. I want to be the best mom I can be. And I'm physically doing everything right in staying on top I things an caring for her. I just want to be in it so much more emotionally. This isn't how I imagine things would be when I finally had my little girl in my arms. She just seems like a stranger, and I feel like I shouldn't get attached because I might lose her. But I'm trying to suppress those thoughts. She's mine. And I am hers.

I was the same with my son. When I gave birth I didn't cry, touched his head as he was coming (they offered and looked at me weird and I declined), and I didn't get him on my chest immediately...all I kept thinking was, "I just had a baby...he is MINE...like FOREVER??" I carried him and I felt like something so surreal and out of this world. I didn't feel that overwhelming love until he started showing me affection, like with him smile and the comfort I would bring to him; it took me a long time.

Quoting Jamie Horn:" I've been confused by this too. I love my baby who is almost 5 weeks old but sometimes I can't wait to ... [snip!] ... mom for leaving my baby and not feeling bad...ugh! If you need to talk feel free! Hope my story somewhat makes you feel better."

Thats exactly how i feel, thought i was the only one who felt like this. thanks for sharing this

<blockquote><b>Quoting sarah* sarah:</b>" Thats exactly how i feel, thought i was the only one who felt like this. thanks for sharing this"</blockquote>

Hey no problem. This was a good topic I think a lot of mommys feel this way but are too worried about sharing this emotion but I imagine lots of people feel like this.