To ask what it felt like to hold your baby for the first time?

[KeplerYellow]

I'm currently pregnant with my first child and wondering what it will be like when he/she is finally here. I know everyone is different, it would just be nice to hear your stories.

[Cantstanddisney]

I was certainly glad that the whole thing was over after a difficult labour and I do remember wondering if someone was going to come along and tell me what on earth to do with her....... and despite going to biology lessons at school and having an app that told me that there was a fully formed human being inside me, I was definately in awe of the fact that I had been able to make an actual person, which until she was in my arms didn't seem quite real.

[Harree]

I've got big age gaps between my 3, & it's only been with my last one that I've really enjoyed the baby bit. My first 1, the feeling of relief & euphoria that I'd given birth was intense. It was an easy birth & admittedly I was young so everything was just about her. She was awesome. But I have no recollection of the first 6 months. Apart from a lot of crying & no sleep.
My 2nd birth I was completely relaxed knowing I'd done it before & although it was much quicker, was much more painful & I was a little bit 'thank goodness that's over' when she arrived. Again, no recollection of the first 6 months. No sleep & crying.
My 3rd birth, now I'm much older & wiser, completely petrified me. Was really dreading it & as it happened, meant that there was 'no time for pain relief'. DD has been dreamy as a baby & slept beautifully pretty much straight away. I've loved the babyness this last time round. Enjoyed every moment.
Hope your birth goes smoothly & whether you love your bean immediately or whether it takes a little time, you'll get there in the end. Until they're about 2 & a half. Not so loveable then.

[catkind]

First baby I couldn't believe he was ours he was so tiny and cute. Babies in our family run in the 9lb so an under 7lb tiddler was a bit of a surprise. Followed by a sort of well I don't get you yet, but at least I get to take you home and figure you out. Also that feeling like a fraud thing when I tried to feed him.
Second baby was gosh she's an ugly mug, and gosh she's angry. For some reason I identified with that much more than the teeny cute one She attached herself to boob and cheered up after that.

[Talcott2007]

I couldn't actually believe that my DD was actually here after a shitty induction followed by 3days of labour which ended in a quick episiotomy and ventouse intervention when her heart rate dropped just as she was finally crowning! Totally surreal moment I guess I was a bit detached and just focused on if she was actually ok just because I was so exhausted - she had this totally bewildered expression on her face and all I remember having time to think was "yeah me too Kiddo!" Before literally passing out as I'd started to seriously haemorrhage. It was when I breastfed her for the first time that I got that overwhelming love feeling

[Alisvolatpropiis]

It felt like the entire world had stopped and disappeared, a true "this is real, wow" moment which felt as daunting as it did amazing.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

YY to PP who mentioned familiarity. I felt as if I'd finally met a pen friend that I'd known for years. We'd had a very tough time, 45hours labour, failed forceps, failed ventouse, EMCS. And he lay there in my arms as they stitched me up and gazed at me with wide, calm eyes as if he knew exactly who I was. It was amazing.

[Datun]

Disbelief. You're so used to thinking about the birth, wondering, knowing how profound a thing it is to have a baby growing in you.

When they finally arrive it still comes as something of a shock that this real human being is right there.

I felt incredibly protective. Love? Yes, but it builds up.

[TSSDNCOP]

Utter relief. I also had the knowledge that I would be holding his hand forever.

[YouJumpIJumpJack]

Had a traumatic birth ending in an EMCS and was off my face on pain meds. But as soon as they held him up I completely melted even though he was weeing on me

There's a pic of us after he'd just been placed on my chest and I couldn't have looked any happier.

[Roomba]

With DS1, I just found the whole thing very, very surreal! I had a c-section and was never in labour, so it felt like one minute - no baby, next minute - argh it's a baby being handed to me! I had a big sheet up across my chest to block the view, so as far as I knew he could have come from anywhere! That feeling of love came a few days later as I fed him and felt a bit more relaxed with him. Didn't help that I'd never even held a baby before I had DS. I felt protective of DS at first, but not overwhelmed by emotion. I remember wondering if I was a bit odd as I'd read so much about the powerful feelings women experience. It did come eventually though.

With DS2, despite him being much more of a surprise arrival (found out v late on that I was pregnant then had c-section when I was least expecting it), I got that overwhelming love feeling as soon as I held him.

[Rixera]

I was allergic to the drugs and shouting 'you hold her, you hold her' to my OH while trying desperately not to throw up on her (I threw up next to her instead)
He was insisting he didn't know how, I just thought 'well it's bloody obvious, isn't it'.

It all felt so completely normal. I didn't really get a rush of love, I just felt like 'aah, there she is then, that's good.' because she looked exactly l expected her to, and it was as though I'd always had her.

[Crunchymum]

My first child was very awake when he was born and when he was handed to me (laid on my bare tummy) we just kind of looked at each other with a mutual "I know you" kind of look.

I'd had a long labour, pushing baby out took 2 hours and his APGAR score was a bit low to begin with so I did all my sobbing / hysterics whilst the paediatric Dr checked him over immediately after birth. I spent 5 minutes inconsolablely sobbing and asking if baby was OK even though he was just on other side of room and I could hear him crying.

When he was handed to me, I felt complete calm and silence and it really was just the two of us despite the 5 staff in the room

Second DC arrived very quickly. I delivered her kneeling over the bed (so baby was born on the floor) and I was kind of then bundled onto bed by DP whilst MW scooped baby up and gave her to me.

Again it was just complete calm and silence with that first cuddle [it really was silent with second baby. Dark room, just me MW and DP. All very peaceful]

I can only explain it as feeling like you are being handed a part of yourself that you so familiar with but so precious and so new.

[MrsSkeffington]

For me it felt exactly the same as when I passed my driving test - like a rush of excitement

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

I had an EMCS under general. When I came round I was still too dopey to hold her myself so DH sort of held her on my chest. I didn't believe that she was actually a girl so we had a bit of a weird conversation. And then suddenly I realised that DD had wriggled to my nipple and was latching on.
I felt very connected to her almost immediately, but no rush of love.

[ForeverLivingMyArse]

Complete amazement! I was young with my first and was amazed I'd actually given birth to an actual baby. I don't know what I had been expecting but I remember thinking 'A baby! I've had a baby!!!'

[ProudBadMum]

I was very much in shock. There was no rush of lOve so don't worry if that doesn't happen.

I was shaking so bad and just looking at her like 'who the fuck are you?'

4 month later and we are ok. She's alright if a little boring

[Writerwannabe83]

I didn't feel anything. I didn't hold him for about 30 minutes after he was born (c-section) and I genuinely didn't feel anything. I was more concerned about getting something to eat as I'd been NBM for over 12 hours. For the whole time I was in recovery and holding him I really didn't feel any connection to him. I think I was in some kind of shock or something.

Once I was back on the ward though and I looked down at him in my arms I certainly smiled. I didn't have a rush of love though, and don't think I did for a few days actually.

I'm currently expecting number two and I'm hoping things will be different this time....

[namechangingagainagain]

Relief.
Unbelievably cold. I just wanted everyone to go away and leave me alone under a large blanket in a dark room.

With all 4 I didn't feel "love" as such until later. Love them all now though.

[Thisrabbitthatrabbit]

I was honestly just thinking 'my fanny still hurts'. For some reason I'd got it into my head that as soon as you deliver you're in no pain at all. So I was pretty pissed off. The love came a bit later.

[UndersecretaryofWhimsy]

Slippery, is the God's honest truth. I gave birth on all fours, the midwife caught him and tried to pass him back to me between my legs, and I nearly dropped him!

I was spaced out from labour and the endorphins and it's honestly a bit blurry. He didn't really come into focus for about ten minutes. I was fascinated rather than overwhelmed (and rather scared). The love came a bit later.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

I was freaked out as the birth was so long - it was relief and shock

He looks pretty shocked too in the photos !

I was so traumatized I didn't feed , wash or change his nappy for hours a nice midwife had to come and gently remind me

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

And when I say hours I
Mean hours .....

[LilacSpatula]

After five days of contractions and an emergency csection I looked in her eyes and thought, "Wow! I feel like over always known you."

Magic!

[Kit2015]

As they were bringing DD towards me. My thoughts were somthing along the lines of. "What is that? I don't want to touch that, that's yucky.."
Then they plopped her down on me and I was crying and cooing "aww my baby, my baby"
So a mixed emotions..

[thenewaveragebear1983]

My first baby? Terrifying. I was only 20 and in a terrible relationship and, regretfully, I looked at her and felt that she was going to have a hard life and tie me to her father forever. I feel sad about this now as it definitely wasn't a joyful moment for me.

My second baby, 9 years later in a happy safe relationship? I thought my heart would literally burst with love.