...To ask if anyone enjoys the newborn baby stage?!?

[Flamingo1980]

I'd be genuinely interested to hear stories from people who truly loved the newborn stage. It seems to me that childless people believe it's magical and you should 'enjoy every minute' and people who have had babies mostly seem to agree that it's hell on earth.
During my newborn stage I thought it was wonderful, but with hindsight I can see now it was dreadful but in comparison to most I think I actually had an easy time... So I don't know what to think.
Did anyone truly love it and if so what was it that happened or didn't happen to make that happen?

[ElizabethG81]

This thread's making me want another baby

[fishalive]

1st time - loved it. Relished every moment (apart from the resistance of naps). Found it challenge but thoroughly enjoyed it all. DD1 was great sleeping at night.

2nd time - felt like I'd been hit by a sledge hammer. Expected to feel like I knew what I was doing, and kind of did, but DD2 was (and still is) hard work. So that, on top of dealing with a toddler and lack of sleep, I found the newborn stage much harder second time around and actually think I might've had pnd but couldn't face telling anyone

[CottonSock]

Hardest thing I have ever done. I hope its easier second time

[fishalive]

Oh and and both we easy straightforward births so it's not like that had an initial negative impact.

[ElizabethG81]

I'm the other way round, I could have done without all the visitors, but would go back to the night feeds in a flash. I'm with the PP who wants a frozen newborn

[PiperChapstick]

Nope. Boring as sin, end up obsessed with feeding. Give me ten toddlers over one newborn!

[Bumpsadaisie]

I did, but then I had a miserable pregnancy and just felt awful the whole time (hyperemisis etc).

Once my baby was born I felt like "me" again, it was wonderful! Of course it was stressful and knackering etc etc but fundamentally I enjoyed it.

[chumbler]

Loved it. I smiled solidly for months. Must have been the hormones?!

[spiderlight]

I loved it once I abandoned everything I'd read beforehand and accepted it on DS's terms (i.e. that he genuinely needed to be on me all the time and that putting him down was simply not on the agenda). I wasted the first few precious days trying to get him into his basket between feeds, but once it sank in that there was no 'between feeds' and set up camp on the sofa for the duration, it was bliss.

[Nospringflower]

Loved it. Love little newborn beanbags.

[formerbabe]

With my first baby, I did. He was such a placid, chilled out baby. He would wake once or twice at night..I'd feed him and he'd go straight back to sleep. I was amazed at how the women I'd met at ante natal classes were struggling. I honestly didn't understand it. I really did find it easy and a happy time.

[53rdAndBird]

I had the same experience Bumpsadaisie. Newborn stage wasn't easy exactly but it was just so, so much better than being pregnant, I was walking on air with happiness. Sixteen nappy changes a day and up all night feeding? Whatever, at least I wasn't sick any more!

[ipsos]

I found it a very complicated mix of feelings. Lovely baby, obviously, but total total exhaustion and a constant feeling that I was taking years off my life every day. ds was high need and I felt like a life support system, but I felt good about doing that for a person so cute and so appreciative.

[LockedBox]

almondpudding

God. I've got to say the 16 - 18 years bit have been the absolute worst so far. Horrendous - and it's coming up again with my youngest...being sleep deprived because they were hungry/wet/wanted a cuddle are far nicer than sleep deprivation because you're worried/angry/upset.

[gamerchick]

It's more boring than anything. The grub stage is just about keeping them alive really.

I'm glad I don't have to do it again.

[SaltySeaBird]

I loved it far more than the 1-2 stage. DD was a lovely baby though - easy to feed, slept through early on, never sick, alert and very amenable. Didn't cry much, was happy to go out to dinner and just fall asleep so we could still pop out for dinner etc. We started trying for DC2 when she was 9 months old as it was such a delight.

Then she turned one.
She stopped sleeping.
She stopped being agreeable.

Now she has turned three I'm enjoying her a lot more again, she is a hilarious, surprisingly independent little person that I love to be around.

[ayria]

I did. But I think that's because my son was a really good sleeper. He let me sleep, and went straight back down after feeding. I had to wake him up for feeds the majority of the time.
Everything else was just clean, wipe, stick nappy on, done. I liked making bottles too. I think I thought it was therapeutic.

The rest of the time I made him look like Dopey from Snow White pushing his ears out and taking pictures!

[8kidswhoscounting]

I loved it and am loving it as I have a week old baby sleeping on me at the moment, good job as i have done this stage 8 times over.

[29PaddingtonSt]

Love, love, love the newborn stage! That's even with one very colicky baby and one horrific birth and prem baby. It's the following 18years or so that I find difficult!

[noeffingidea]

I quite enjoyed it. The first time was the worst, I was in hospital for 6 days, had stitches,and breastfed, which was ok until the 3rd week, when it became painful.
The 2nd and 3rd were fed on formula right from the beginning, which made a big difference, IMO. I had short labours, recovered very quickly and didn't suffer any of that sleep deprivation.
All 3 of my babies settled quite well, even when they woke up in the middle of the night for feeds. I still managed to get a few hours of sleep each night. Luckily none of them had reflux or any other health problems.
I love lots of things about the newborn stage, things like winding them on my shoulder, bathing them,just the way they look and smell, their first smiles, so there was plenty to make me happy.

[Lilipot15]

I found newborn stage very hard first time round. Second time I knew what to expect and enjoyed it a lot. Then my sleepy baby woke up about 5 weeks old and I'm blooming knackered at 5 months! She is lovely but I wish she would sleep with less angst!

[TimeToMuskUp]

It was incredibly difficult with DS1 as his Dad left when he was tiny. DS2 was a world away and I loved it from the moment he arrived. But I knew what I was doing with number 2. Number 1 was like a bomb went off in my life and I spent the first few months a bit shell-shocked.

I love the toddler and pre-school years much, much more though. They're hilarious and adorable and utterly batshit. I'd happily have a house full of 3 and 4 year olds forever if I could.

[StrawberryLeaf]

With my older child I found it very hard, complete exhaustion, breastfeeding was impossible, really hard.

This time (dd is 5 months) it's been amazing, she was a perfect newborn, I wanted to stop time, to slow everything down and savour every second. I think the big difference was the feeding, she's been a dream to breastfeed so I had that experience of settling in feeding and cuddling for a couple of weeks in loved up bliss that I thought I would have with my older child but never managed in a whirl of feeding, top ups, pumping, crying over my feeding failure!

So I think it's all dependant on how straight forward it all goes.

[Mrscog]

I loved it, I loved breastfeeding and co sleeping and just the quiet peaceful snuggles. If I could send them away for the 12-18 month hell stage I'd have more than 2!

[NeitherQuietNorCalm]

I loved it. Sitting with tiny babe asleep in my arms watching Netflix, kissing him, everything being new and exciting, every trip being a first trip somewhere. Was easy to go out, he'd just sleep. I felt like we were in our own beautiful world. He's 8 months now and hasn't fallen asleep in my arms for months and I'm back at work. He was an easy baby though.