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Original poster

Things no one told you about new borns

35 replies

ReasonableLlama · 08/09/2018 02:45

DS is nearly 7 weeks old. I knew (or was warned) what to expect with the first nappy and sleepless nights. But no one told me to expect the baby to grunt while sleeping and if the grunting stops I'll be checking to see if he's ok.

I also expected to love him right away but the first few weeks just felt like I was babysitting but now I can't sleep as I just can't stop looking at him.

Before DS came along people moaned (in jest) about the sleepless nights but I enjoy our 3am feed (DS goes to bed at 10:30, feeds at 3am and 7am - is this normal or am I just lucky?)

Is there anything you discovered with a newborn which you wasn't warned about?

OP posts:
KathrynOfArrogance · 08/09/2018 02:51

Totally agree with the grunting!!
I'm FTM and have a 9 week old
Never heard of "leaps" where they are totally fussy!!
Or how much mine fights sleep and how grumpy it makes him!
I keep saying to him "son if you knew what you were in store for, you would never pass on sleep"

tinymeteor · 08/09/2018 03:21

That the first two days before the milk comes in are really hard.

That it's normal to have marathon evening crying sessions for no reason at around 6-8 weeks old.

That they sleep better at 2 months than at 4 months.

That all these things are tough as hell but they pass.

Original poster
ReasonableLlama · 08/09/2018 03:29

I 100% expected to have DH dinner on the table every night - this didn't even happen in maternity leave 😂

OP posts:

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Seniorschoolmum · 08/09/2018 03:34

The sheer velocity of projectile vomit. It was a complete shock.

icklekid · 08/09/2018 03:39

I think the feeding at 3am and 7am is very lucky but be aware it might well change. A lot of parents with babies the same age will be feeding a lot more often. Both are 'nornal' so don't worry but I think your very fortunate!

duckii · 08/09/2018 03:48
  • colic! And how bad it could be...
  • crying over everything, not being able to switch off, having no sleep for the first 6 weeks or 15 weeks in my case
  • over cautious/worry and not wanting anyone to hold the baby at the beginning
  • learning to eat with one hand
  • painful BF
  • the strain it can put on your relationship
(LO is 4 months old now and still sleeping with me whilst DH is in the spare room)

I secretly miss being pregnant (and my pregnancy was bad) compared to the dreaded fourth trimester.

All worth it though when they start smiling and laughing with you Smile hang in there!

Original poster
ReasonableLlama · 08/09/2018 03:53

We have had no projectile vomit, nor poo. We have had plenty of wee's though.

With DS being my first I wasn't sure if I was lucky or this is normal. I was hoping it's normal but I bet if we had another it would be a nightmare.

I agree with the missing being pregnant. My labour up to a point was the best time in my life. I would quite happily live the last 27-30
Weeks all over again! My pregnancy wasn't the best but I enjoyed it deep down. I don't think it would be the same a second time around

OP posts:
feltpens · 08/09/2018 03:56

@duckii he's just started smiling and I'm sure there's a laugh trying to get out. That was my turning point in terms of it being worth it.

I just give him a 3am feed and he's laying there asleep and I can't stop thinking how much I love him.

Until abo

feltpens · 08/09/2018 03:57

Until about 2 weeks ago I thought I ruined my life

lifechangesforever · 08/09/2018 04:30
  • that the first night home I would question what I had done
  • colic is literally the worst thing in the world
  • that such a tiny person could get so upset and angry about being tired, instead of just going to sleep
feltpens · 08/09/2018 04:33

@lifechangesforever and that the crying makes you scared they will do themselves harm

CadleCrap · 08/09/2018 04:40

How loud they can fart

SiolGhoraidh · 08/09/2018 04:57

How long a breast feed takes!
How many strange noises they make in their sleep.
How incredibly wriggly they are.
How much you can resent them whilst at the same time loving them so fiercely your heart might explode

AlfieandAnnieRose · 08/09/2018 05:04

That they can have a spotty face - baby acne! Also at just how much they scratch their face, it looked painful. I didn’t realise how important scratch mitts were.

Pissedoffdotcom · 08/09/2018 05:28

That no matter whether it's your first or third baby, you will still 'waste' your time simply staying at the small person you created. And that every step is just as magical the third time round as it was the first

scaredsection · 08/09/2018 05:48

My DS is only 4 weeks but here are a few things!

That even when you are having the worst, sleep deprived day, you and your partner will always laugh at one of their farts breaking the silence, especially the ones that seem to last forever.

Or that you'll spent so much time googling random things at 3 in the morning such as 'is newborn grunting normal' 'newborn poo colour' 'How to get newborn to sleep'

That you'll become a ninja at moving around in near silence: you'll realise and regret how bloody creaky your bed is when trying to leave it without waking a sleeping newborn up.

aybeeseedee · 08/09/2018 06:14

To enjoy them as much as you can and to try to cherish each moment through the sleep deprivation fog that becomes your reality because in 18 summers they'll be grown up and you'll never have the time back.

Takemetovegas · 08/09/2018 06:22

No one told me that you had to tuck the penis back down when changing. I spent weeks with wet clothes because he was missing the nappy all together.

kikibo · 08/09/2018 06:33

That it was not necessarily as bad as people tell you.

I had a newborn like you, OP 😊.

gilmoregal · 08/09/2018 06:36

Takeme- I've definitely been there my husband was the one who told me to point it down!

How loud they are in their sleep the grunts, snores and goodness knows what else.

Baby is now six months and nappy changes are a nightmare like wresting a shark I thought I'd have ages longer until this was an issue!

How they like will only poo in a fresh nappy so constant changing at the start.

That baby might not like grobags just because you've read they're the safest and best way for him to sleep. Spent entire pregnancy telling mother I will not swaddle it's not recommended . Cracked at three weeks of no sleep, swaddled him and he slept for hours.

That baby may not like all things bought for a baby- looking at you £120 graco swing/bouncer

That they can fart as loud as a grown man

--

Giantsquid · 08/09/2018 06:37

That they can make you REALLY angry

Whereisthecoffee · 08/09/2018 06:45

That when they are first born they can have a weird red/copper colour in their nappy. Phoned the ward in a panic with ds1

Franberry500 · 08/09/2018 06:48

That it can be normal to find a bit of blood in your baby girl's nappy, related to hormones. Knowing that would have saved me some panic!

OrangeTowel · 08/09/2018 06:58

Wait... hasn't your baby poo'd yet, @ReasonableLlama?

'We have had no projectile vomit, nor poo. We have had plenty of wee's though.'

SoyDora · 08/09/2018 07:02

They dont sleep all the time (well mine certainly didn’t anyway). They were awake more than they were asleep from day 1.

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