The state of mental focus on the baby that begins in late pregnancy and continues for the first few weeks postpartum is called:

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Coined by D.W. Winnicott, the term primary maternal preoccupation is used to describe the period when the pregnant woman is highly sensitive to and focused on her baby. During this time she needs support and nurturing as she works on role transition from woman to mother. Modern medicine sometimes misinterprets this stage as anxiety, though psychological researchers see it as a necessary maternal task. "Mothering the mother" is sometimes used to describe doula care. Role attainment is a generalized term describing learning a new function. Attachment theory is sometimes used to describe bonding.

The State of Mental Focus on the Baby That Begins