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Original poster

Easy baby stories pleaseeeeee!!!

106 replies

Iret · 01/09/2022 05:12

Feeling so anxious. Just want some positivity rather than the ‘you’ll never sleep again’ very helpful remarks.

OP posts:

ebri91 · 01/09/2022 05:19

Babies aren't easy and anyone who says they are or their kids were is either lying or they had loads of help i.e grandparents nearby, daycare or even night nurse.

In saying that if you are already pregnant there is no point in worrying cause you can't avoid it

Original poster

Iret · 01/09/2022 05:23

@ebri91 this is a positive only thread! 😂

OP posts:

Joshanddonna · 01/09/2022 05:24

Well the best advice I got about having a baby was - remember the bad bits don’t last.
My best sleep tip is to try and put the baby down to sleep when they’re awake. You’ll end up having to go and pick them up again. It can take a while for them to learn to go to sleep on their own but eventually they will. All my four did.
Also sleep during the day when they do. The sleep thing isn’t easy but you get used to it and it always gets better.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Babies & sleep Children's sleep

ebri91 · 01/09/2022 05:28

Iret · 01/09/2022 05:23

@ebri91 this is a positive only thread! 😂

No its a public thread on a public forum!

UncomfortableSilence · 01/09/2022 05:37

Not all babies are terrible sleepers. My experience was very different to many I read here, but you're not going to get posters starting threads saying my babies are wonderful sleepers it's people who need help and are struggling.

Both my girls were great sleepers and by around 15/16 weeks they both were sleeping through the majority of the night, it may of just been luck who knows but I actually loved those early weeks and months and I realise I am fortunate to be able to say that. We tried to establish a bedtime routine from very early on, quiet time, bath, we had chilled out music in their rooms. If we were at home for nap times they always went in their cot in the bedroom to sleep so they associated this room with sleep. As a pp said we always put to sleep whilst awake so they learn to go to sleep on their own.

Sleep when you can, when they nap during the day grab an hour or two if you can rather than do the housework , just remember all babies are different no one thing will work for everyone.

MrsTerryPratchett · 01/09/2022 05:46

Mine wasn't easy. At all. No sleep for 2 years.

But who cares? Because she's the best person I've ever met. And it was all worth it even when it was terrible. I didn't wish she wasn't here even at 4.17am every sodding day!

That's the reality. It's not easy but nothing really important ever is.

palmerita · 01/09/2022 05:49

It's hard yes. But there's nothing on this earth that is worth more than your baby! One thing I learnt, nothing last forever, no 2 nights are the same, surrender to those bad days and look after yourself!

TokyoSushi · 01/09/2022 05:49

DD was an absolute dream, so easy, happy, honestly an absolute delight and still is at 9, -never slept through the night, even once, until she was 3.5 though-

DS on the other hand, wow...

Rainbow28x · 01/09/2022 05:51

I've just had my second baby (7 weeks old now) and he started sleeping through the night this week. My first baby has also slept through the night ever since she was 1 month old also (now a toddler)
Yes there are moments which can get tiring, but when you see their little smiles it lights up your world and all you feel is love 🥰
My advice is just make the most of every single second, good and bad, because it goes way too quickly ☹️ You've got the rest of your life to catch up on the sleep/housework etc, they aren't babies forever x

PizzaPatel · 01/09/2022 05:52

You need to have realistic expectations about what it’ll be like to reduce the shock to the system. Your baby WILL wake up at least 3 times a night for at least a while. It might be a matter of weeks like a PP or it might be a year. Most babies wake up multiple times per night for somewhere in between that time. That is biologically normal so it’s nothing to stress about - just something to accept. If you don’t accept it and try and change the baby you have, that’s what will be stressful. There’s joy to be had in nighttime feedings and daytime sleeps as long as you’re accepting of it.

I was unprepared for that with my first and it led to unhappiness (so my post probably isn’t as positive as you were hoping because I think realism and being prepared is more helpful than blind positivity). With my second I’ve slowed my pace of life down, am trying to accept that I’m tired without dwelling on it all the time, and taking opportunities to sleep. The house is pretty messy and I’ve watched a lot of tv. Even at this level of inactivity it’s very hard work so I don’t feel bad about it. Looking back, having just one baby is easy - you’ll have a lot of time to rest or do your thing but it’s a lot less “you time” than you’re used to so it might feel hard until you look back.

Set expectations with your partner early on. She/he needs to step up with at least half of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping AND some of the baby care. If you do too much early on it’s hard to row back. Looking after a baby 24/7 is harder than working full time in many ways - you will feel jealous that your partner gets to go to work sometimes. Remember that when you’re having your workload division conversation. Have this BEFORE the baby comes.

Rainbowcat99 · 01/09/2022 05:55

I spent ds' early baby hood wondering what all the fuss was about. He slept well, went 7pm-7am at 5months and never really regressed. Settled himself to sleep and was generally very easy to look after. He was also content to go to anybody up until he was a toddler and was very friendly and smiley so I had plenty of volunteers to help.
Plus, you love them so much that even the bad bits don't seem so bad!
You'll be fine op 😍

WeyAyeMan · 01/09/2022 05:57

@Iret
I have a 15 month old and a 3 week old. My big girl was an absolute nightmare for sleep and it's still difficult to get her to sleep now, she's such a light sleeper. I dread bed times with her.

My 3 week old has been an amazing sleeper from the very first night, I can put her down and she'll stay sleeping, she will sleep through any type of noise. She has a feed around 9pm, 2:30am, 6am and then sleeps until about 9am.

Every baby is different and to be totally honest I was dreading it thinking this baby would be as hard as my first daughter but honestly she's so different, chilled out and content you barely know you've got her 😊

BirdWatch · 01/09/2022 06:30

You will sleep again. The days my DC were babies were some of the happiest days of my life. Sitting just holding them in the afternoon, watching while they slept filled me with happiness.

RefuseTheLies · 01/09/2022 06:34

Hi! I have a unicorn baby! She sleeps 7pm to 7am, 3 hour nap in the afternoon. She is such a happy wee thing too. She’s 14 months now and an absolute joy.

Her older sister was (and still is) a flipping nightmare sleeper tho 🫣😂

Rtmhwales · 01/09/2022 06:35

I had a super easy baby though he's a wild feral nightmare at age 4 now.

As a baby though he was always super calm and happy. Didn't cry properly until he was a few weeks old and it startled me. I'd actually taken him to the doctors as I was sure there was an issue with him not crying. He'd wake a couple times a night for a formula feed, the whole process including winding and changing was ten minutes max and he'd be back asleep for another 3-4 hours. I actually took him backpacking with me solo at 4-6 months for 8 weeks through Oz, Indonesia, and New Zealand. Seriously an easy delightful baby. He started sleeping through without waking to ear around 5 months old and has always been an excellent sleeper since then with lonnnng naps (2-4 hours) and overnight sleeps (10-12 hours) and still doesn't wake before 8am.

But I suspect he's rare. And he's wild and backchats and climbs everything he can now. So it's all swings and roundabouts.

buckingmad · 01/09/2022 06:37

I have an easy baby! But I’ve also done everything they say not to. I fed to sleep, cuddled to sleep, never put down “awake but drowsy”, I still cosleep (baby is 1), I never sleep trained. I’ll definitely get a devil baby next time 😂

The first few weeks were still hideous. But it passes. If it was that awful no one would have more than one!

Wickywickyyow · 01/09/2022 06:39

My first ds was an easy baby. He's now 18 and honestly has been easy at every stage, he goes off to uni next week and we'll all miss him so so much.

My other two were also fairly easy but not quite as much as ds1. Is it nurture or nature? Who knows?

I'm a childminder and a lot of the 'difficult' children do come from different parenting styles than I would use but I don't tell them that, I just sympathise and give tips only if they ask.

hashbrownsandwich · 01/09/2022 06:43

All 3 of mine were east in the sleep sense. They get more challenging when they hit Pre-teens but you can't win it all!

Footbal · 01/09/2022 06:48

The days are long but the years are short. My DC are 10,12 and 14 and myself and DH really miss when they were babies,toddlers. My oldest and youngest were very easy babies, slept great from the start. My middle child was not so easy, never slept. At the time it was difficult but nothing lasts forever.

Lower your expectations of parenthood and don't put to much pressure on yourself. All babies are different. Enjoy the little pleasures. They are not babies for long.

Charlavail · 01/09/2022 07:09

Both my babies have been easy as any thing. DD slept through from 3 weeks. DD would nap on me but DS has three good naps in his cot a day. I've never felt like I can't get on with my house work etc. DD was bottlefed but DS was breastfed. Both options are easy enough when you get used to them. Both have always gone to others. Both have always just come along with me.
Babies don't have to be hard.

AliceW89 · 01/09/2022 07:10

There is a complete different between wanting ‘easy baby stories’ (which is entirely down to luck) and wanting to hear ‘positivity’, a lot of which is in your hands. My DS was a very difficult baby - screamed all the time and didn’t sleep. He was still amazing and I still utterly adored him, despite finding his first year hard. He’s also turned into the worlds most gorgeous, easy toddler who sleeps really well. A couple of nursery staff stopped my DH the other day to tell him what an utterly delight it is having DS at the nursery as he’s so friendly and helpful. So even if you aren’t blessed with one of these unicorn babies, it doesn’t mean your experience will be difficult forever. Everything is a phase.

AbstractDream · 01/09/2022 07:13

My babies were easy. Travelled anywhere, alert and interested in everything, you could plop them in front of the tv and use the bathroom or quickly do some chores but, the sleepless nights were a killer!
Sorry op.

OldTinHat · 01/09/2022 07:24

The best bit is that 18 years absolutely flies past and then they leave home!

Just lighthearted! Ish...😆

trilbydoll · 01/09/2022 07:26

My two didn't sleep brilliantly but other than that they were pretty easy babies, fairly chilled out, could drag them along anywhere. They're primary school age now and they still don't go to bed particularly well but they will sleep until 10am.

mintich · 01/09/2022 07:31

My kids all slept through the night, from 4 months. From 8 weeks they only woke once in the night. We did bottle feed and I think that probably made the difference

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