The saying "a face only a mother could love" takes on a whole meaning as survey shows 18 percent of new parents secretly believe their baby is ugly.
The survey asked 1,000 parents about their feelings and reactions when they first saw their newborn.
According to the Daily Mail, 1 in 5 of new parents are disappointed with "how their new baby looks" and only 8 percent have talked about it with anyone outside of their partner.
A father of two, who remained anonymous, offered an explanation to the Daily Mail:
There is a lot of pressure on new parents in all kinds of ways and this is something that remains taboo and just isn't talked about. Everyone seems to think they have the most beautiful baby on earth and as a new parent you feel you have to say the same even if you privately believe your baby is ugly.
My daughter is three now and she is gorgeous but when she arrived she was the most disgusting little thing I'd ever seen. She had a face only a mother could love, but even my wife admitted she was ugly.She was our second child and we knew we were being objective because when our eldest girl was born we had been convinced she was beautiful. When number two arrived we both felt very differently.
It doesn't mean you love them any less of course. In fact it brings out some very intense feelings of protection. You really feel you have to root for them in life because they aren't as good looking. I totally understand why all parents say their child is gorgeous even if they really think they fell out of the ugly tree and got hit by every branch on the way down.
It's just not something you ever feel you can admit to anyone else and you do get offended if anyone ever dares to suggest your baby isn't beautiful.
What do you think about the survey? Leave a comment below.