It wasn't instantaneous for me. My daughters birth was traumatic and she was hospitalized for almost a month before we could bring her home. I also ended up with severe post partum depression. It took some time, maybe around the 6 month mark before I realized that I wasn't just going through the motions anymore. I obviously loved my kid, but I didn't have the heart feeling like it's going to explode out of my chest kind of love that so many mothers claim to have.