Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

Birth, Biology, and the Emotional Gamble of Connection

From the moment we enter the world, relationships are both instinctive and unpredictable. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how birth sets the stage for relational complexity, and why emotional attachment is both a biological drive and a lifelong challenge.

Think about the way you came into the world. Here are the possibilities. Your mother went into labor, or your mother went into surgery. As far as I know, those are the only two possibilities. So, let’s take them one at a time.

Labor: Hours of being squeezed by your mother’s strong tummy muscles, followed by being forced through a tunnel much smaller than you are, and then pushed into an environment that is loud, bright with light, and cold. Welcome to the world. Come on. This is not what you bargained for. You were happy. You were floating in a comfortable sea, protected and insulated from noise, motion, and all sorts of invasive experiences. Yikes. Who wants to leave that space?

Surgery: Here, you are comfortable in your little liquid bubble, just floating around. Then a knife soars across your mother’s stomach and barely misses you as it cuts through your cocoon. Some giant character rips you out of the safety pouch you have been enjoying and passes you into a scratchy piece of fabric, then puts you under a heat lamp. Come on. This is not fun.
Ok, your parents are happy to see you in person. The doctor is relieved that you do not require any special attention. The nurse is content to wrap you up and carry you to another room.

But, come on. This is not what you bargained for.
From this point forward, everything is a crapshoot.

I get it. You did not ask for this life. They decided to make you and have you and take care of you and guide you and… ok, there are endless possibilities here. The point is that you did not select this, and now you have to adjust to it and live with it. At a bare minimum, you have to develop a relationship with each of these DNA donors. Maybe they knew what they were doing, maybe they did not. Either way, you are stuck with them. Biology rules.

If you are lucky, they like you and are excited. They pay a lot of attention to you and are constantly talking to you, touching you, or rocking you. Wow. Some of that feels good. If you are not lucky, they ignore you or pass you along to a new couple who have never known you before. Either way, you get fitted into a family.

The family could be a real crapshoot. Whether they are your biological family or your adoptive family, you still have to fit in, develop connections, and build relationships. Relationship building is hard. You were born connected to a person, and you naturally want to continue to connect to others. You reach out, hoping that they will reach back.

Want to explore how early experiences shape emotional connection? Visit Psychology Today’s guide to bonding and birth trauma, Center for Child Counseling’s breakdown of ACEs and attachment, and NAEYC’s insights on early brain development and relationships.

If you’re reflecting on family dynamics, attachment, or emotional connection, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support healing, resilience, and relational clarity.