The moment you welcome that little bundle into your world, you must climb into his booties to understand how he would like to be received. Just because you didn’t physically birth your new son, does not mean he does not belong to you. He will look at you as his savior, his hero, his life-line, and you have been waiting often beyond the usual nine months to meet him. Your maternal gestation may have been years in the making. Now he is yours and yours for life.

This is a precious bonding time, and the sooner he is in your arms the better. Imagine you had carried him in your belly, and birthed him in your bed, how would you embrace him in that intimacy? He deserves to be engulfed in your biological infatuation, whether he came from your womb or another’s.

Skin on skin time together will unite you both. Nurse him at your breast with his warm bottle so he can feel your heartbeat, a sound that is familiar to him already. Whisper to him sweetly so he adjusts to your voice gently. Touch him with the longing of those months of waiting to meet him.

Unlike a biological mama, you won’t be suffering physically from the grueling labor and delivery and common breast feeding dysfunction. You will have an advantage here to be able to devote your time directly to Baby. This does not let your partner off the hook, caring for you (see Co-Parenting) and Baby, and you will need all the support you can get.

Baby belongs to you now. You birthed him with your desire, your wanting and your ardent commitment. He chose you, and you him. Don’t let him down.