Babys first week. Stories?

[user1471927379]

Hi everyone. So i am due to have my daughter in December and just wanted to hear some mum's experiences about what your first week was like having a newborn. Also any tips or essentials you think i will need for my baby's first week. I am extremely well prepared but i just want to know what to expect. X

[melibu84]

I have never been so tired in my life. Accept all offers of help!

[Dixiechick17]

The first two nights our DD slept six hours straight, we thought we'd produced a baby that liked her sleep.... How wrong we were :D

I breastfed and wasn't prepared for cluster feeding, if breastfeeding keep plenty of snacks to hand and maybe some TV to catch up on.

I was a bit bruised, so opted for laying on my bed where possible with my DD. We were also inundated with visitors, probably would have preferred this when my DH went back to work.

[ConvincingLiar]

Breastfeeding can be really tough. I'd identify local sources of support in advance if you're hoping to do it. Midwives in hospital were mixed in terms of how helpful they were.

[Laura05]

Be prepared for the constant visitors!! My advice would be to ask everyone to give you time to settle in with your wee one and to check with you it's ok for them to pop in rather than just turn up at the door! With my dc2 I gave people people time slots/certain days so that it wasn't a constant rabble of visitors at one time
Definitely accept help if it's offered and don't be afraid to ask for help. For me having my mum round so I could go for a sleep or spend time with dc1 was a godsend.

[Ohdearducks]

My brand new baby DD now 5 months farted so long and loud over the baby monitor that the midwife who'd come on a home visit choked on her glass of water. That was a fun day.

[EstelleRoberts]

Be prepare for the realisation that your baby didn't read the manual, and doesn't realise what he/she is meant to be doing!

Having been informed at ante natal classes that the baby wouldn't be able to stay awake for much longer than 2 hours, we were unpleasantly surprised to discover on day 4 that ours could in fact stay awake for a 9 hour straight stretch. Between 9pm and 6am......

[user1471927379]

Amazing advice from you ladies. I am planning to breastfeed so will definitely use that advice. Any more stories/advice would be great x

[Flowersonthewall]

Stay in bed? Feed, sleep get food brought to you visitors can come only if bearing good parcels and offers of help
Be prepared for huge sore boobs and an emotional rollercoyster especially on day 3 when your milk comes in. Expect to feed all the time. Don't worry you don't have enough milk in those first few weeks baby is establishing milk production so more baby feeds more milk is produced. Oh and just enjoy it and relish in newborn loveliness!

[BathshebaDarkstone]

Be prepared for constant feeding, and for supermarket trips to take 4 hours with all the feeding breaks. Also, complete strangers think that the only reason a baby cries is because they're hungry.

[MoreGilmoreGirls]

Breastfeeding is hard and a newborn may want to be on your boobs for 24hrs a day! Get all the help and support you can in that area oh and buy some nipple shields and nipple cream in case! Find a BF support group local to you. And when you are finding it tough remember it does get better!

[ninecoronas]

• One of the most helpful things I was shown was how to do the "laid back breastfeeding" position by a midwife. It made things so much easier, I was amazed no one else had mentioned it- give it a Google!
  
• keep a pint of water by the loo for watering your bits as you pee, because if you have any tearing it really stings!
  
• take lots of pics and consider writing things down too. My dad recently found a diary of his first year that my late nan had kept and it's wonderful
  

Good luck!

[DrWhy]

I was 'prepared' for the lack of sleep in so far as everyone tells you it will happen, that doesn't make it any less awful.
I was not even slightly prepared for how physically awful I would feel. I was dizzy every time I stood up let alone walked. My whole lower torso was a mess, abdominals sore, stitches obviously sore (and constantly afraid I was pulling them open), weeing hurt (and had to be followed by jugs/bottle of water to try to keep stitches clean), copious bleeding (I needed far more maternity pads than I realised, towel on bed etc). This was following a shortish labour and lovely waterbirth with a 2nd degree tear and I'd been active / exercising through my whole pregnancy.
Then the breastfeeding- that hurts too, not just breasts and nipples but back and arms from holding the baby. Lots of cushions etc to support the baby helps but shuffling around to get the ideal position in bed with the previously mentioned ruined abs and stitches was more than I could be bothered with quite often.
We had visitors every afternoon, this was the only time baby was settled, I should have been sleeping not sitting on very sore stiches making polite conversation. On about day 5 the midwife told me to go to bed and stay there, feed baby there and get get up only to get in the bath to help clean stitches. I suggest this is basically what you plan to do. Visitors were there to see the baby anyway, should have just left them with DH and gone to bed. You really need to look after yourself to be able to look after the baby.
Sorry if this all sounds very negative, baby is 3 weeks old today, he's slept badly all night and been wide awake since 3am...
On the plus side the baby is totally adorable, DH and my mum have provided all my food and drinks for 3 weeks and the breastfeeding pain is now merely uncomfortable.

[newroundhere]

It didn't matter how prepared you are, things are unlikely to go to plan. That doesn't mean they will be awful, but it's easy to get stressed if you're really focused on things going a particular way. You may end up in hospital longer than you expected. You may find breastfeeding doesn't work for you. You may feel completely overwhelmed and spend the first week wanting to give the baby back like I did Hopefully not but try to go with the flow and don't put too much pressure on yourself for it to be a particular way - it will be fine

And make sure you have lots of nice meals in the freezer so you can eat well with minimum fuss.

Good luck

[dylsmimi]

Reading these through some of these have great tips and info but all sound very negative
I agree you may be sore and emotional but you can decide about visitors and I found many people wanted to come later on particularly when DH was back at work and this worked well
I think the first 2 weeks I enjoyed spending time with dh and baby, you can send him out to the shops/takeaway etc and can watch the baby while you have a sleep/ bath and can help if you want to venture out (depending physically how you feel)
I would say be prepared for the possible physical and emotional but enjoy those first 2 weeks admiring your little baby

[Oysterbabe]

My DD spent her first week in NICU. She arrived pre-term, couldn't regulate her blood sugar or temperature, had jaundice and wouldn't feed so had to be tube fed.
I expected the first week to be tiring but not as tiring as it was. I didn't want to leave her so spent most of the day and night sat next to her incubator and was also expressing milk every 2 hours 24 hours a day. The nurses would often try and shoo me away to sleep and I got the odd hour here and there.

I'm sure you won't have to go through that but just be aware that your first week may not be as you envision it.