When I gave birth via emergency C-section, I didn’t feel that magical rush of love everyone talks about; the one where you lock eyes and everything else fades away. A euphoric feeling of finally being complete, like I’d finally found the person who was always meant to find me. Instead, I felt…well, nothing. Detached. Overwhelmed. I remember they put my daughter on me and I thought, “Huh, that’s a baby.” That thought made me feel cold, like I was failing before I even started. I knew I should feel something more, but I just didn’t. That night, my mind raced with embarrassing, guilt-filled thoughts: Maybe I’m just not maternal. Maybe I shouldn’t have done this. Maybe I’ll never feel connected to my baby. I was ashamed to even whisper these feelings to anyone, convinced I was the only one who didn’t have instant love for their newborn. But here’s the…