No more horror stories! What was the best part of pregnancy/newborn life for you?

[dollymixturelulus]

I need some positivity!

In pregnancy, the movements - from the first fluttery bubbles to proper kicks and wriggles. DC1 in particular used to roll from one side to the other and my whole bump would shift. Also rather more vainly having a bump is the only time I've not felt self conscious about my flabby tummy!

The newborn sleep deprivation is insane but feeling their barely there weight on your chest when they nap on you, watching as their eyes start to open and they start to look around. When they peck around looking for where to latch. Their tiny little feet!

I loved having a bump. Have never felt as beautiful or body confident as I did at 9 months pregnant. I loved feeling him kick and wriggle about.

Love the soft fuzzy hair and the smell of his head. Agree breast feeding at night lying on my side when everyone else is asleep and the house is quiet is so lovely.

The little squeaks and noises he makes pull on my heart strings.

Don’t get me wrong there’s been plenty of difficult parts too but I’m trying to soak up and savour all the lovely bits too. He’s almost 7 weeks already it really does go so fast.

When they are first born many sleep a lot!! I made the most of it / napping and watching box sets! It’s not all bad for sure!

I just love the newborn stage, pregnancy not so much but omg newborns are just perfection!

I breastfed and co-slept so just the constant snuggles, those first 6 weeks of doing nothing but binge watching Netflix and huffing that newborn head smell all day 🥰

Trimesters 1-3 I could take or leave, but that 4th trimester is just the best

I’ve got 3 kids, 1 teen, 1 tween and 1 older child.

That time of my life was nothing short of magic to be honest. Growing and birthing babies, creating new life, new dreams and hopes for the future. Time stops when you meet your new baby for the first time. If you could create that feeling and bottle it up you would be a very rich person indeed.

There have been tough times and it’s not all been rosy but I wouldn’t have not had them. Giving birth isn’t all bad either. It’s a productive pain and one that ends with euphoria (well it did for me). No birth traumas or anything like that.

Oh and pushing stage of labour. Out of the entire labour THAT is when I felt most at peace, your body takes over and you just go with it and it feels so much better than the earlier ones that hurt but you couldn't tell they were doing anything

(Admittedly I was on a lot of drugs 🤣)

my son is now 27 but I can still remember how wonderful it was when I was resting on the sofa, on the days following his birth, with him asleep on my front, the smell of the top of his clean little head, and his breaths in and out.

Pregnancy: feeling special, feeling them move, the anticipation of meeting them, the spiritual journey of becoming a mother before even meeting your baby.

Newborn: their soft skin, their tiny perfect bodies, their little noises, the promise and hope they bring.

I don't think people are trying to scare you when they say it's hard by the way...it's just that before you have a baby it's genuinely impossible to imagine all the many thousands of ways your life and priorities will change and because babies also do bring with them plenty of challenges. None of the challenges are even close to being outweighed by the sheer number of amazing parts of being a parent but they do exist.

Actually my favourite part of a newborn is breastfeeding particularly in the middle of the night lying down in bed with a tiny baby tucked into your body like a tiny little package. Heaven.

The moment you get home with this tiny bundle and staring at him/her thinking 'what do we do now'.

I thought there was something amazing about feeling baby kicking and squirming about on my belly knowing they had been doing it from inside a few days earlier.
And if you’re worrying about labour (you said you needed some positivity)- it was no where near as bad as I thought

Everything. Honestly being pregnant and having a baby has been the most positive and amazing experience. My son is 10 weeks now and he’s just the most beautiful thing my DH and I have ever seen. He’s so laid back and so smily and laughs at us all the time. It’s heart melting. Good luck on your journey, it’s really such an incredible experience.

The moment you meet and everything makes sense.

This bliss of bringing baby home.

Silent early morning feeds when its just you and them.

The endless cuddles and kisses.

The love like no other.

Having a little friend with you everywhere you go.

Objectively I had very easy pregnancies and straightforward births. Establishing breastfeeding went well. I discovered ring slings and carried my newborns everywhere, which was simply divine. I was addicted to my newborn babies, they were gorgeous little grunting bundles and I loved looking after them.

Napping at the same time as your baby and having the excited butterfly feeling when you both wake up.

I felt that having a newborn was the best feeling ever. I used to look at him, so tiny and fresh, and think I get to love him forever. He’s a whole personality already - what will he be like in the future? What will he look like?

Newborn babies are the best thing in the world and there are so many delightful moments but my one magical moment was when I gave birth to my second.

All the way through my second pregnancy I had disturbing thoughts because I just couldn’t understand how I could possibly love the second baby as much as I loved the little 16 month old running around at my feet. I loved baby 1 with everything I had.

I didn’t tell anyone and just thought I would love baby 2 too but obviously not as much because it was impossible and that must be how it is for everyone.

The moment they put baby 2 on me I felt (physically) my capacity for love double - it was so simple and so pure. His love just arrived alongside him. It was amazing

When she wakes up beside me, on her back, quietly clapping her hands and whispering “Da!’ It’s my favourite way to start the morning.

I’m coming to the end of my maternity leave and I’m so sad this phase is nearly over. There have been tough times but overall I have loved being pregnant, giving birth and nurturing this little being.

The kicks, the time when it was just me and him when I was pregnant. When he was here the contact naps, all the night feeds when he would just look into my eyes as he was feeding. I actually 'enjoyed' my labor so was very lucky.

with a newborn, it’s been the only time in my life that worrying about whether I’m a good person/useful/doing life right/valuable etc etc has been so irrelevant as to be laughable. It felt so blindingly obvious I was in the right place doing something that made sense. This blissful, simple, obvious goodness that meant I totally trusted myself and knew that my body was- that all women’s bodies are - fucking miraculous and worthy of worship. Also that the concept of ‘self’ just wasn’t interesting or important.

it sort of wore off in the intervening 5 years but I remember how it felt so it’s easier to call up that feeling when I’m wobbly.

Pregnancy was hideous for me but the day I gave birth was just absolutely magical. I would do it over and over again if I could - finally seeing this wriggling thing that's been inside you for nine months emerge, and spending the time afterwards just me baby and DH. Knowing we just created a new life and a new family together and all getting to know each other. Falling in love with baby and falling more in love with DH, it's just brilliant

Pregnancy - erm, not much 😅 scans are nice

Newborn sleep squeak snores are the best 🥰

I’ve had four babies and the moment you see them for the first time can’t be beaten. The relief of labour being over and then the complete miracle of seeing the little life that’s been living inside you is indescribable.

My baby was breech until 35 weeks and she had the cutest little froggy legs for ages. Oh you will just adore your baby OP pregnancy can be hard but feeling them move and grow is so special too.

Feeling like superwoman and that I could single-handedly take on the world after giving birth. Despite the giant fanny pad and physically feeling like I’d been hit by a bus 🤣
endless cuddles.
The delirious feeling of no sleep but actually it doesn’t matter because taking care of your newborn is the most important job you have.
the joy a tiny baby brings to family and sometimes random members of the public!