Did you enjoy having a newborn?

[Apregnantworrier]

I am pregnant with a very much loved and wanted baby.

But everyone around me seems desperate to tell me how awful it’s going to be - I won’t have time to eat, sleep or wash. I will hate my body and never be slim again or even have time to care how I look and my relationship will be the worst it’s ever been.

I know it’s luck of the draw as to how easy you’re baby is but I’m so excited for the next stage and to meet my baby and for them to get here safely and be healthy but I’m also looking forward to feeling a bit better than I do in pregnancy and more myself eventually.

Surely (given a lot of people have more than one child) the good outweighs the bad?

You're right @Blocked!

It's hard work but amazing at the same time. The first 3 months for me were horrific as baby had colic and I just felt like I didn't know what I was doing. It isn't going to be easy, but you somehow just get through it and it starts to become easier after a while x

I found the newborn stage horrendously hard, sorry OP. But, I know people who loved it, or at least found it easy or fine.

I had a hard pregnancy, bad birth, breastfeeding problems, PND, an unsupportive DH (at first, he’s hugely improved) and a non-sleeping baby.

If this does happen to you- I promise, it does get easier- and enjoyable! DS is 3 now, and makes me laugh constantly. He’s a joy. Plus sertraline and sleep training at 7 months saved my sanity. Don’t suffer alone.

Everyone's experience is different.

Honestly, I struggled with the newborn stage. All of my babies were shit sleepers and I found it very challenging.

However, I've always found the toddler stage to be quite easy! That really surprised me, because so many people warned me how much worse it would be than having a baby. "Just you wait until they turn 2!". Everyone was desperate to tell me how hard toddlers are. It's honestly been really easy for me.

Now, would anyone like to take bets on how I will find the teen years? Something tells me that I might be owed some tough times 🤣

It's hard, harder than you can probably imagine. Although all babies different some cry lots, some don't, some sleep lots, some don't, some feed lots and some are a nightmare to feed.

It's just constant when they little and not sleeping great but feeding all the time. Sleep deprivation is a terrible thing. Having a couple of hours broken sleep and then being expected to look after a baby all day is hard. Not all bad though there's nothing better than newborn cuddles. Then when they start to smile at you, it feels more worth it like they know exactly who u are. They do start to sleep a bit better and you'll start feeling much more like yourself.

I went back to size 6-8 after my first and was actually almost half a stone lighter within the year. She was the happiest baby that never cried and slept through from 6wks. My maternity leave was a lovely long holiday, I had the best time!

My second did cry, didn't sleep great or feed well and was a difficult baby. Now at 3 still never sleeps through the night always wakes up a few times also sleeps in my bed (or she screams all night). She's hard work but she is the cutest and sweetest wee girl. Always telling me she loves me and that I'm her best friend. I'm half a stone heavier now than pre kids but still a size 8 mainly. So you can still be slim.

Brand new born, as in first 2 weeks, not so much: ds had tongue tie, I had mastitis twice, we had a bereavement in the family and I spent basically the first 2 weeks of ds life terrified I didn't love him enough and adjusting to the complete change to our lives. I did recover very quickly and easily from an emcs which was a blessing.

After all that though, lovely. Ds slept pretty well, we stopped feeding, he started smiling (game changer) and dh was only back to work for a week and a half after paternity leave before summer break so I didn't have to do anday by myself totally until ds was nearly 3 months, at which point we started groups etc.

I didn't actually find it that "hard" once we got over the bumps. Make sure you get out every day, even for a quick walk, and enjoy the snuggles.

Ignore the lot of them! It was seriously one of the most magical times of my life.

Yes there will be tough times but that's the case when you go to work or drive a car. Everything is stressful.

But it's also the precious thing in the world.

couldn’t have put it better than that yes magical ❤️wish I could do it all again.

I have a 5 month old and yes, some days I still don't get to shower because he screams if I leave the room and sometimes it's midday when I find 2 mins to brush my teeth. He had colic and I spent the first 12 weeks pacing the house with him screaming at me for 8 hours+ a day

HOWEVER

I have never loved anyone more in my entire life and I hope I get to do it all again one day. In the words of the great Ron Weasley, you're going to suffer but you'll be happy about it!