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The process of becoming a parent is accompanied by myriad psychological and biological changes. This entry reviews two psychological phenomena that drive the formation of the parent–child bond: parental preoccupation and positive parenting thoughts. Parental preoccupation refers to intrusive thoughts about a new baby that begin during pregnancy and that tend to persist until approximately four months postpartum. Positive parenting thoughts are positive feelings about infants and the parenting experience that tend to increase following birth. These two psychological phenomena serve complementary roles in supporting parent–child bonding across time. Following discussion of these psychological phenomena, we discuss biological mechanisms, including brain networks and hormones, and how they support the psychological changes necessary for optimal parenting. Next, parental psychopathology is …