I highly suggest for you to test this for yourself: Whenever you meet a woman who says she is more “bonded” to one of her children, and swears up and down the other perfectly-normal seeming child is a “trouble maker,” innocently inquire of her the story of their births, without telling her why you are asking. What you will find in every single case is the “favorite” child was delivered natural, and the so-called “bad trouble maker” child was delivered with the aid of an epidural or c section. The mother will often admit she had post partum depression with the “bad trouble maker” child as opposed to the “love at first site” high she will freely admit she experienced with the child whom she favors.

From my research women do not seem to be able to “shake it off” and bond to the child later. Either they bond with the child at birth or not at all. In cases where someone you know’s mother abandoned or abused them, perhaps even a family member, a little investigating will often uncover their mother had post partum depression after a c-section or epidural birth, causing her to reject them.

Some women have had their partner walk out and leave them for having post partum depression after giving birth, saying “you’re not the woman I fell in love with.” That certainly is not a harmless harmless consequence, putting the mother under a financial strain, and the baby often carries the blame for it. “He left because of you!”