What thoughts went through your mind after seeing your baby for the first time?

[MandyM749]

I couldn't believe that my partner and I had created such a beautiful, perfect baby girl! I was so overwhelmed and shocked that I had actually been carrying her for 9 months and started crying!

Huge relief that I immediately felt an internal shift from "I'm me, independent woman, do what I like" mindset to "I'm me and him, and that's just how it is, this is my new reality". If that makes sense... I'd worried all thru pregnancy that I wouldn't bond with him, but the second he arrived I knew it would all be ok.
Phew etc.

OMG it's a boy. Followed swiftly by... why isn't he breathing? I bloody hope all those people who have just run in can sort it out.... why is he still not breathing? ohmygodohmygodohmygod...etc. The longest 10 minutes of my life.

18 months later he is the healthiest and most lovely boy anyone could wish to meet, but it was a scary start!

With DD it was controlled panic as they couldn't get her to breathe at first. I had no family there (DH was on his way) and I was just whimpering 'Is she alive?' to the very young trainee midwife, who didn't know.

There was an acute shortage of midwives on the night my eldest son was born so I only had a couple of moments to have a quick look and think 'Oh, it's a boy!' before being whisked away to another part of the hospital to be sewn up (and forgotten about ...)

My youngest son was born on a perfect summer's night in a lovely ward with a brilliant midwife. She handed the baby to DH, who looked at his new son with such adoration that it seemed like the whole world had stopped for a moment. I don't think I have ever felt so happy.

OMG that's William Hagues's double

Oh my god, he's amazing, how soon can I do this again?!

And for my DS- what an enormous scrotum - bloody hell

"Ooooh a baby..."

After 5 days in hospital and 15 hours in active labour and all kinds of pain relief including an epidural and two hours of pushing, I actually said out loud 'what? Already?!' Swiftly followed by 'that's not a small baby' and 'at least it's not ginger'!

1. Total Amazement followed by OMG A GIRL!
2. Total Amazement followed by OMG A BOY!

When I had dd I looked at her and felt like I had known her all my life. It was a weird, amazing, indescribable feeling.

With ds I thought 'this is amazing, I love him, I want to have another baby just to feel like this again' despite the fact they were about to remove part of my bowel after a bodged c section.

Ds1. Who are you ? You aren't who I was expecting......
Ds2. He's beeeeeeaaaauuuuutiful!!!!!!!! IlovehimIlovehimIlovehim

Had an elective CS so first saw DS as they handed him over the screen to me feet first.

First thought "god he's got huge balls!*

Second thought "I have no idea what to do here"

Third thought "mmmmnnnnn.... Mine!!!!"

He's lovely. He looks..... Like a lion.

To be fair DS did. He was jaundiced, a little squashy of nose with masses of auburn curls that stood away from his head like lion's mane. I didn't expect him to be so distinguished and handsome. I don't suppose they're ever words you use to describe a freshly born baby though.

DS1 Is that mine! God he's ugly (6 weeks prem skinny long and covered in bright ginger hair) think orangutan. He was rushed straight off to SBCU.

Became a blonde beautiful Rugby Player.

DS2 My God he looks nothing like DS1, he is so dark! And even smaller (10 weeks prem) DS2 only survived till the next day.

DD Its a GIRL! Please just let me hold her, she is so tiny, please just let me hold her once. (12 weeks prem, survived 36 hours)

Look at your beautiful wide eyes bloody hell you're big I love you you're enormous you're a boy oh my god you're mine you are massive look at your eyes it's ok

Something very much along those lines, no stopping between each thought.

"Dad? Is that you?"

(((((((Shoshe)))))))

Dd1 I thought was utterly beautiful. She also had a very gentle cry. Dd2 I looked at her and couldn't figure out who she reminded me of - it was my baby photos! And dd3 was just tiny like a tiny doll.

Ds1: I remember saying 'my boy my boy' as they passed him to me. He was massive, covered in blood, very warm and heavy. Had an awful birth experience but that moment was amazing and such a relief. I realised at that moment I would do anything for him. Felt intense love for him instantly.

Ds2: I can't remember that first moment very clearly. I think I was surprised that I had produced another baby that wasn't ds1. The bond wasn't instant with ds2 it took about a month for me to properly bond with him. I was on a high tho' as ds2's birth was fantastic and I felt amazing!

Oh Shoshe

First thought on hearing my husband exclaim "it's a boy" was "I knew it all along", followed by "holy crap, the kid looks nothing like me!" followed by "jesus christ, I don't think I've ever loved anything as much as I love him", followed by "that was brilliant, sign me up for another!" And so it continues. DS is now 7 months today and now looks recognisable as my son as opposed to a mini-DH and every single day I wonder at how much I love him.

I really did think I would cry when I first saw him but I was so elated about the whole experience that I couldn't stop smiling or staring at him with a big stupid grin on my face, taking in every little millimetre of his face. It was only when I got home after 2 lovely nights in hospital with wonderful obstetricians, paediatricians and lactation consultants, and climbed into bed that I became so completely hysterically overwhelmed that DH had to come and ssssshhh me to sleep. Fucking hormones.

With dd:
"Tons of thick BLACK hair? WTF???"

DS1 - oh god he's just beautiful and we made him
DS2 - (stillborn) tears & he looks so healthy why oh why can't he have made it and he is the spitting image of his big brother
DS3 - Oh god that was quick and thank god he's alive and crying and he really is another spitting image of his big brothers