...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?

[TheStoic]

I'm not a fan of babies generally though. Give me a toddler any day...

Oh god, I'm the exact opposite. Loved the infant and baby stages, nearly went insane through their toddlerhood.

[susannahmoodie]

In my experience

0-10m Lovely, lots of cuddles, napping, bf on sofa while reading and eating cake, generally know where child is all the time.

10m-20m Nightmare, increased mess as discover more food, crushing and early walking means they are constantly in mortal danger, potentially many different ways of being injured at any one time. Feel like they 'should' be sleeping through but they aren't=sense of failure and desparation. Combined with return to work = exhaustion.

20m -3y - better as begin to talk and therefore provide moments of hilarity despite challenge of increasing mobility....

3y on wards- generally out as potty trained, out of pushchair so easier to leave house. But still prone to tantrums over unforeseen things (eg yesterday, being the oldest, not having the right pen)

[waitingforsomething]

I hate it. Newborns drive me to the end of my sanity, the sleep , crying, not wanting to be put down. No smiles, nothing rewarding at all.
Dd is 3 and awesome so I know it's worth the slog and DS 19 weeks so past the worst and looking forward to weaning. Sitting up unaided Etc

[unimaginativename13]

I love it but hate the way you can't tell people you love it.

My DS is so calm, settles easily and sleep 8-8 with 1 or 2 feeds which I don't mind.

I didn't sleep for the last 3 months of pregnancy so this is sleep overload.

I wish my sleep deprived friends would stop asking me - and also people telling me it won't last long. Take your negativity elsewhere

[Booboostwo]

I loved the newborn stage with both DCs but particularly DC2 because he was an easy breastfeed ear and I went straight to co-sleeping and slings. I can imagine it would be very challenging though with a colicky baby or one that has reflux or other reasons for crying a lot.

I hate the toddler stage though! My DS is a gorgeous little boy but at 15mo he hits, pulls hair, pinches, has to be monitored all the time, doesn't understand 'no' or sharing, etc.

[jamhot]

I found it harrowing. Colic. Reflux. Would only sleep if held upright by an adult doing a bouncy walk. Would only sleep for up to 45 minutes. Would not sleep in car or pram and would howl if we left the house. Tongue tie. Massive weight loss for him. Weight gain for me.

He got a lot happier when he started to roll over about 14 weeks. He started sleeping on his tummy (his choice - we kept rolling him back but he wasn't having it!) and started to sleep for 1-2 hours, and not on one of us. By the time he was 4.5 months, we even left the house a couple of times!

At 7 months now, he's even happier because he can crawl and get to where he wants to go. His reflux has eased up (his doctor was useless) so he is more comfortable.

Happier baby makes for a happier me.

Bollocks to going through that again.

[HalfStar]

It's fascinating to read people's experience of the different stages. I loved the first 3 weeks with dc1, totally in a mad exhausted bubble and dp had 3 weeks off. The 3 of us totally in love. After that colic struck, dh went back to work and sleep was minimal for many months to come.

Dc2 I adored her but so much busier, less time off for dp and dc2 had awful reflux and colic. Still doesn't sleep through at 13 months. I love babies but have not enjoyed the small baby stage at All. I don't find them boring as some people do, just so anxiety making and such a hard load if you're ebf and they feed a lot and don't sleep.

I did find toddlerhood with dc1 a piece of piss though! She was darling and funny, full of energy, napped and slept and ate like a dream, never but it hit other kids. She's still great but more attitudey now

I'm convinced it's all about how much sleep you're getting.

[HalfStar]

jam 'harrowing ' is an excellent description of life with a baby with reflux.

[allwineismine]

I didn't enjoy the early days, I struggled with breastfeeding, DS had reflux and was NEVER awake and happy. Past 4-5 months it all got better.
Tbh I was my own worst enemy, putting myself under pressure unnecessarily. I wanted to be perfect: clean house, dinner made, make up on. If I ever have another one, it will be just about the 2 of us, fuck everything else (well, maybe apart from DS )
DS is nearly 3 now and he is my wee pal

[wonkylegs]

I found it tough to get used to with DS as a massive change to our lives but actually we generally had a very good first 6weeks and I loved it. I found it much harder at about a year when I was back at work, potty training a climbing ninja child who didn't sleep through the night and had night terrors. He's 7 now and still doesn't sleep through the night regularly.
Will be doing it again in 6months so who knows what it'll be like this time, at least I'm used to sleep deprivation.

[HeteronormativeHaybales]

No. 1 - horrible for the first few weeks after a difficult birth, jaundice and a hospital that would have fucked up my bf beyond all repair if I hadn't got bloody-minded (and had MN). Spent 4 weeks expressing, topping up and dealing with breast refusal. Lovely once we'd got past that.
No. 2 - lovely, but quite anxious after readmission at 3 weeks with a mystery infection (out after 3 days) and with a 2yo to deal with.
No. 3 - lovely, really lovely, but overshadowed by extreme anxiety about losing her (all the worse for not having been prepared for it after a very ambivalent pregnancy). She's a surprisingly good night sleeper, which helps (in the day needs to be held or carried to sleep, but that's fine).

[Puffthemagicfanjo]

I loved it. Even though ds1 wouldn't be put down, never slept, and thanks to an undiagnosed tongue tie fed for hours at a time, and I had repeated bouts of mastitis and a breast abscess. I just loved it.

Ds2 was way easier (actually probably just average, but easy compared with the first time). The hard bit was dealing with a toddler at the same time, but I loved having a newborn again.

Fast-forward almost two years and ds2 still sleeps like crap, and due to enlarged tonsils/adenoids probably won't improve any time soon. I'm knackered and weary and have no energy for anything.

I would still have another one in a heartbeat, if only to do the newborn bit again.

[SerenityReynolds]

I didn't really enjoy it tbh. Was struggling a bit with breastfeeding, DD was just bit of a grumpy madam all the time. No dreadful colic/reflux like some, but just constantly grisly. Then again, now she's 3, I do miss the long, snuggly feeds and frequent napping. Expecting DC2 any day, hopefully being a bit less anxious generally about everything will let me enjoy it a bit more - plus knowing that this is the last time I'll be doing it!

[Mermaidhair1]

I loved mine when they were fresh out of the oven!

[QuackingQuackers]

First time I hated it. Traumatic birth EMCS, PND, refused to sleep, had colic, reflux and I didn't realise that bfing on demand meant that he would be attached to me all the time. I would dream about just leaving him and getting on the train to anywhere, just so I wouldn't have to be near him.

With the 10 week old, birth was easier (ELCS), and she's been easier generally although I've realised that I get very grouchy with disturbed sleep. What makes it difficult is the 3 and a half year old wanting to help all the time. It's sweet, but means everything takes longer and is more stressful than strictly necessary!

[mrtwitsglasseye]

I really, really adore the newborn stage. I have four dc and this is definitely my favourite stage. They are so soft and squishy, so completely dependent and I felt so in love with them. I still love them now of course but that consuming, 'in love' feeling. Breastfeeding them, sleeping next to them...

I found the sleep deprivation worse with an older baby and find the toddler years quite difficult. Once they come out of that and are interesting, chatty people it gets brilliant again. I still love them as toddlers obviously but it's not my favourite stage

[PrettyMaMa]

Newborn stage is the worst for me … especially if you have a toddler running about who needs attention I love teaching and exploring their personality … once they can sit up they’re finally moving forward into their next stage …. Then the fun begins

[UndertheCedartree]

I did enjoy it and found it so hard all at the same time! I must admit when I was pregnant with my 2nd I was dreading the newborn phase but I distinctly remember the moment she was born looking at her and just thinking how adorable she was and all that dread just vanished! I found BFing difficult initially with my DS but with my DD it was so easy. I remember she would wake early in the mornings and I would go downstairs and put a series on Netflix and feed her. It was so quiet and just me and her. Such a sweet memory!

[Ninkanink]

Oh I loved the newborn stage with both of mine. However I suppose
I had it quite easy which certainly helps - straightforward deliveries, no severe damage, no reflux, no colic, no issues with breastfeeding.

I wouldn’t do it again though!

[gwenneh]

I love the infant stage so much!
I struggled with breastfeeding, tried to do too much too fast, and had hospital stays but the key thing is I had support during all of it so I wasn't alone. Even with PND I was able to get help quickly.
DD is now a toddler and I'm sad there will be no more infant stage for us.

[Strokethefurrywall]

Loved the newborn stage. Easy babies, slept well, nursed well, rarely cried. Back to normal life within weeks.

I struggled far more when youngest was 18months onwards as his older brother was 4 and far more challenging by that point!

[ShippingNews]

Yes, I Loved it both times. I had two good sleepers, I bottle fed , DH was supportive. Family far away so no interference . I just relaxed into it and enjoyed that time when we had no timetable, no dramas. They are adults now but I still remember how lovely that time was.

[Goldbar]

It felt like being in a hostage situation.

Got better when DC could smile, laugh and kick the shit out of their baby gym. And when I discovered mixed feeding worked fine for us.

[BunnytheFriendlyDragon]

What counts as the newborn stage? I've got an 11 week old and I'm loving it.

[CeeceeBloomingdale]

It's my favourite bit. DC1 had reflux so it wasn't easy but it was lovely, I enjoyed it even more second time around, it felt like a cosy little bubble. I didn't have the easiest births but they were both vaginal and I managed to BF both. It's exhausting for sure but there's something special in those first few weeks.