Tell me about your first day/night at home

[Moonrocks6]

ok, so I have read about the pregnancy, the birth and even bits in weaning, routine and milestones but nowhere can I find any information on exactly what to do with this baby when I first get it home!

So, please share your stories with me.
What did you do? Did you put baby to bed before you or all go together? Is there anything you with you'd known/ done?

It's all suddenly becoming very real!

[MaGratgarlik1983]

Got home and then everyone came round to see him (!) just afterwards - this was around 8pm ish I think. My head was totally fried (labour does this a bit I think, I couldn't even work out how to turn the laptop on!) and then everyone ordered a curry for us and left. DH, DS and I sat in the lounge, us just staring at DS as he slept. We took him up to bed in our room in his moses basket and fell asleep. Ha - until the first night feed! Prepare for lots of confusion, sleep deprivation, and chaos, but also an endless supply of love, kisses, and wonderment. Ooh and get one of those ring cushion things. Amazing if you have to have stitches etc.

[Vanillaradio]

Due to feeding issues and jaundice and emcs we spent the first four nights in hospital. Despite them telling me we could go in the morning we weren't let out till about 8pm. Ds screamed when he was put in the car seat then he screamed all the way home every time the car stopped moving. Got home and sent dh out to buy formula and breast pump as aforementioned feeding difficulties were still going on. Sat cuddling ds till dh got back. We then went up to bed where ds woke up and screamed approximately once an hour, sometimes every half hour whilst I attempted to breastfeed then express and feed. Eventually dh sent me to sleep in the spare room for a bit as I had similar amounts of 0 sleep in hospital
It did get better...

[Nuttypops]

DD never went to sleep until about 1am for the first few weeks, I was over the moon when it finally became 10pm! Whilst some babies may go to sleep earlier at first, many of them have day and night confused initially so except to see a lot of the first nights I think!

We got home about 6pm, DH took DD whilst I went and slept for 2 hours (3 days on postnatal ward= very little sleep!), then we are a hodgepodge dinner and all went to bed. DD didn't sleep for hours, just cluster fed all evening initially so we all fell asleep in our bed at some point and co-slept, she wouldn't sleep anywhere but on us initially.

My Mom arrived the next day to help and DH had to go back to work immediately( military). I think I spend most of the first week in my pjs feeding.

[frenchknitting]

I'm surprised that i can't really remember much about the first night home. We had been in a hospital over an hour away from home for 2 weeks at that point.

I remember the walk from the ward to the car really clearly. I'd not been outside in ages, and it felt so odd to emerge back into my city, when it felt like i'd spent weeks living in another world. I also remember sitting in the back seat of the car next to him all the way home, worrying that his car seat didn't look like it was supporting his head very well.

I don't really remember much about after we got back to the house though. We would have been very concerned about how the cats were going to react, but I can't really remember how they did. It was about 5pm, so i guess we sorted out the moses basket and collapsed on the sofa, just relieved to be home. We probably drank tea and ate pizza. I was probably breastfeeding a lot, and DH probably sorted out all the washing and unpacked from the hospital. That's a guess. I suspect I'd been dying for a bath, but when I eventually got home I couldn't be bothered.

I wish i kept a diary sometimes.

[Hopelass]

DS was born at 5pm and we got home at 9pm so v quickly out of hospital. I had lots of stitches so was high as a kite on painkillers and hadn't slept for over 36 hours. I remember us putting his car seat on the floor and watching the cat's reaction (she sniffed him then ran off) then we got him out and sat down a bit bemused really thinking "well what do we do now". Eventually went to bed. I kept the light on all night and kept checking him in his crib next to me. Still high as a kite the next day and had some visitors and the midwife came round. Soon came down to earth though! Doing it all again in 9 weeks but this time we'll have DS to introduce to his new brother

[Jayne266]

When are you due OP?

[Tumtitum]

We came home and had a dinner party for DH's birthday DD was a week late so all planned before thinking she would have arrived! Luckily I had the foresight to invite my best friend to look after me and baby :)

[Fourfifthsof]

Tips - make sure you have the crib / monitor set up before baby comes (or as close to set up as it can be) and know how it works. Saves late night drama / panic later.

Stare at gorgeous newborn.

Have long hard think about what you have done.

Try to watch Pirates of the Caribbean but just stare adoringly at gorgeous snoozing newborn in moses / on self / on daddy.

Eat chip shop chips.

Go to bed, put child in crib / co-sleeper / whatever with fully working monitor so no panic stations. (We didn't do this - there were panic stations) Get into bed although don't sleep, as thinking about / looking at splendid child.

Pass out through exhaustion.

Repeat, starting at the starting at gorgeous newborn part.

Have a fab rest of your pregnancy and make sure your local chippy is on Just Eat.

[flamingtoaster]

We drove home through a dreadful snow storm, stopping to buy more nappies (DH went in to buy them as I'd had an emergency c-section and we'd been in hospital for a week). DS didn't like being put down when awake (this lasted six weeks) so we took turns to hold him, he fed lots, and at 7.00 pm he went to sleep and we went to bed. To my horror none of us woke until 7.00 am - I was sure DS was ill or dead so DH lept out of bed and woke him. I can't remember when he next slept 12 hours! I think he slept so long that first night because it was quiet and dark unlike hospital. Having been in hospital a week really helped but I still had the "now it's down to us" feeling when I got home.

[ittooshallpass]

I was truly blessed to have a baby who slept through from day 1. So I spent the first night sleeping. I was exhausted after a messy c-section and a week long stay in hospital. Used to sit for hours just cuddling her and watching telly. Bliss. Loved those early days (apart from the c-section!).

[Piniatapearl]

We have twins that arrived early so had a couple of weeks in special care. We had a little welcoming committee in the street, brought them in in their car seats and stared at them for ages.

Had no visitors as we wanted peace and quiet and to introduce our dogs to them.

I'll always remember that first night, fresh sheets on the bed, tucking them into their cribs next to me, the amazing feeling that after years of ttc, numerous Ivf treatments, stressful pregnancy, emergency c section, we finally had our babies home with us.

They are toddlers now and I'd do it all over again.

[Mol1628]

My first never slept. Not in the hospital not ever. He was a really difficult baby. Got home on day 2 about 6pm. I remember it was icy and trying to get in the car after having a bad tear was awful.

Got through the front door and just cried. Happy to be home but also just exhausted beyond belief.

We sat on the sofa, just held him. OH made us some food. We didn't sleep in our own bed for about two weeks. It was honestly the worst few weeks of my life. So much pain and crying and sleeping no more than 45 minutes at a time.

Had another baby two years later and he slept a lot and it was nowhere near as traumatic.

[MrsCharlieD]

We got home early afternoon and I remember transferring him from car seat to moses basket. We then stared at him. My mum was there and sent me to bed for a bit. That's all I remember really. I'd spent 3 nights in hospital so was getting used to changing and feeding. My mum cooked dinner and left and then we watched films in bed with ds next to us in the moses. I remember having a panic every time he cried in those early days and we wasted a lot of milk as we had no idea why he was crying and would default to milk if he was dry and otherwise OK. Looking forward to being a lot more chilled out this time around and not being afraid to get out and about. I wasted so much time being overwhelmed by it all, little did I know life could pretty much continue as normal as newborns can't move and are generally easy to take places. My 2 yo, not so much!

[ineedwine99]

So glad to hear its not just me that's had the 'oh god what have i done' thoughts. I love my daughter to bits but had a couple of weepy days the past few days plus shes had bad trapped wind and it really made me worry i'd done something stupid in having her. Hopefully it's starting to pass. Our first night at home we got in around 10pm, fed her, put her in her grosnug then straight to bed

[GinandTits]

With first ds got home, lots of staring at baby. I was on a bit of a high and the lack of sleep didn't really affect me till week 2 where it triggered a massive seizure (am epileptic) had to go back to hospital and cried as I felt bad leaving him with mil and dad.

Second ds I got home about 2pm after elcs. My mum and step dad bought home ds1 around 3. Ds was nearly 5 so they cuddled with ds1 stroking him on the head whispering things like "I love you little brother, I'll look after you forever" que me already emotional sobbing along with my mum and husband. He was so loving and gentle. I only have to watch that video of them together and I'm set off. It was lovely. After that just a blur of breastfeeding pumping and crying.

[Turefu]

We came back home next day 6pm afternoon, it was Sunday. DH's eldery auntie, she lives just round the corner, paid us short visit. Thing were fine and Big Man even fell asleep, but woke up about 10pm and cried and cried. Finally, we all three fell asleep on one bed.

[OverScentedFanjo]

Got home totally exhausted from a week in hospital with no sleep. Bearly able to function.

Looked at all the cards and flowers-thought I can't even summon the energy to open them. Thank goodness I'm home and will be able to sleep.

DD started crying then screaming. Tried to BF. More screaming and crying. Maybe slept for 30 mins before the screaming started again.

Next day spent ages on the phone seeing if a midwife was coming to see me. Turns out I was missed off a list and no one knew I'd had a baby. So eventually got a midwife on the phone who said "do you need me to see you?" Well yes, I've had an assisted birth, baby with jaundice and my stitches are bloody painful. Baby won't latch etc.

I guess it did settle down after a while but your normal life goes out of the window. Lots of WTF moments. Combined with massive all consuming love for the little person you have made.

[Mommawoo]

Got home about 11pm after discharging ourselves. I gave birth in Greece where they have a mandatory 4 nights in hospital. They also take blood twice a day to test for jaunice and by day three i'd had enough.

Put dd on the floor in the car seat to meet the dogs. Labrador and terrier were unfazed but the spaniel approached her like she was a bomb. Had a small fight with mil who wanted to give dd a full bath with shampoo, soap, body cream the works. Had the first poop where me and dp flapped about and got in each others way. Had another small fight with mil about co-sleeping. Promised not to do it, then closed the bedroom door and co-slept all night!

[limon]

Got home 10pm. Gawked at each other in a "oh fuck we are in charge" kind of a way. I went and made the cot up and dh fell asleep on the sofa and then we all went to bed absolutely shattered from sleepless nights in hospital.

[Knackered46]

Oh blimey! I remember it all!
A week in hospital (induction) then jaundice whilst establishing breastfeeding etc...

We were finally let loose with Ds1 strapped into his car seat. Ex- dh drove home at 20mph whilst I sat in the back with baby, soothing hand at the ready...

No family nearby which was as it was - quite cool in some ways.

We sat on the sofa with him plonked at our feet fast asleep like some unexploded bomb. Should we leave him? Get him out? What were the hospital thinking of? Letting a newborn home with us...

We had a glass of champagne and stared at him. I had a shower, then I plugged him into my breast, then we stared at him some more. We changed his nappy, then finally at 11pm we put him into the carry cot beside our bed and tried to sleep.. .

Looking back it was so strange, having our own new baby and finding our way with him - but equally it fell into place quite quickly, and two days later we were trotting around sainsburys with me with an enormous rucksack.

I made a few mistakes - like being overambitious as to how far I could walk in the first few days - I felt fine to start with, then like I had been run over 2 miles from home - you do have to build up to it - you might feel fine, then you feel awful!

Happy Days! 😊 he is 18 now...

[Ragwort]

Cooked dinner as my DH had invited his boss and wife round for a meal - to be fair we had discussed it in advance and as I had been in hospital for a week after having our DS (EMCS) I was actually desperate to do something rather than lie in bed and stare at a baby sounds awful I know. DS slept in the living room and as we were eating in another room the boss said 'is that a cat mewing' .

We took DS up to our room when we went to bed that first night but after that he was straight into a GF routine and went to bed at 7pm.

[Randytortoise]

We ordered a Chinese takeaway and parents and in laws visited. We got home about 6pm.
With dc2 we called into McDonald's drive through on the way home

[kamarastar]

Once home, we gave her a bath, she pooped meconium in the bath. we changed the water re-cleaned her. Fed her. Put her to bed and both of us stayed up watching her all night amazed that she was ours and that we had been trusted with this.

[Melmam]

This thread brings back some lovely memories

I brought him home when he was a day old I remember being in so much pain I just wanted to get home when I came home I think it kind of just hit me "oh dear this is my baby and we've to do everything for this little Person " then I just made myself comfy on the chair he was a great sleeper so it was pretty much feed change sleep he slept great in the Moses basket beside my bed at night downstairs he was in the carrycot part in his pram during the day I was pretty much so overwhelmed by him it was amazing he is now 9 months and I'm expecting my second in march and I think I'm more scared this tone for some reason

[APocketfulOfStars]

Lovely to read all these memories! It's made me realise I can't remember much of my first day at home.

Stayed 2 nights hospital, they make you stay where I am, first few days were bliss, I think! Ds slept a lot, so we did too, having not slept much in theh hospital due to staring at DS,and being woken at midnight for tests on DS...

I'd arranged for my DM to fly out a week after due date. DH and I are fro different countries and I didn't want a culture clash on how to do things. We were going to figure it ourselves. DS was a week late and DM arrived the day after, while we were still in hospital. Thank god she was there.

I remember crying as we were leaving the hospital, then showing DS to dog. (DH has taken the first vest he wore home for dog to smell beforehand). After that, I just remember sitting on the sofa cuddling DS with DH, and DM cleaning and cooking and bringing us cups of tea, plates of fruit and food!

We went for a walk on day 3.

Ds must have cried quite a bit the first few nights as I distinctly remember bawling my eyes out in the middle of the night a few days in. Ds had been crying for over an hour and DH asked if he could try the dummy. He did and it calmed DS straight away. Which was made me cry. I hate dummies. I still do, although it does get used occasionally.

I also remember spending a lot of time timing DS's feeds. He fed really quickly from the start. I was so worried he was taking enough...I remember being so pleased when he fed for 7minutes!

Ds is 4 months and i want to do it again!