Your favourite bit of having a baby.

[DoubtingMyPatience]

Feeling a bit poorly today, horrendous trapped wind pain. 26weeks and the post 20week scan blues are setting in.

I just can’t wait to meet her and do all the jobs that everyone hates, I can’t wait to change nappies, I can’t wait for baths and I’m even excited for waking up in the night to tend to her. I can’t believe she’s going to be ours not long after the new year.

So because I’m feeling like a bag of white potatoes. I wanna lie in bed feeling her wriggle and read some of the moment you’ve loved about bringing baby home and the newborn stage.

I know the novelty of all these jobs will wear off very quickly, as everybody keeps telling when when I tell them I’m excited to just care for her. But it’s exciting here and now.

Give me your favourite new born moments please!

Shite* potatoes...

The wee snuggly cuddles, when they coorie in to your neck, sleeping on your shoulder. I'm sad that DD is not a newborn any more.

Just the cuddles. They’re just epic. I also loved getting her dressed and watching her wide eyed and transfixed by everything.

And ignore people who try to rain on your parade - it’s lovely having a baby, yes it’s hard but it’s also brilliant and it’s great to be so excited!

(It doesn’t stop - if I ever say I’m enjoying my 18 month old, people are like “oh you just wait till she’s talking” etc. So annoying).

Sniffing their heads.

The lovely secret snuggles in the middle of the night. It’s like a magical world when everyone’s asleep.

The smell of a newborn, is just something else. Breathing it in knowing you made the perfect little bundle is hard to describe. There first little smile. Having a baby is amazing, treasure ever single moment.

When they sleep with their hands above their heads. And the crazy breathing they do.
For me it just gets better and better though. Dd is 16 months and makes me laugh everyday.

Her falling asleep on me and just snoozing away in my arms. Even now at 10 months I sometimes sit and hold her for an extra few minutes in the middle of the night after a feed when she's gone back to sleep. And the excited leg kicks!! (usually when being offered milk!)

I also hate the whole “wait until the terrible twos”

It’s such a horrible expression. I have a two year old niece, and yes there are the most epic meltdown tantrums because the next peppa pig episode didn’t load quickly enough. But c’mon! They’re children and at that age when they’re learning their words and how to put sentences together and their imagination is just incredible.

The absolute elation the moment she’s born!

Those newborn cuddles and that utterly gorgeous newborn smell

The softness or their skin..like touching a cloud!

Their adorable little fingers and those dimples where their knuckles haven’t formed yet

Baby toes, baby bottom, everything about them.

Baby farts. Sorry has to go on the list!

Feeling them latch for the first time if BFing.

When they open their tiny eyes and look up at you as if to say: hey, I know you!

Pregnancy being over and all those aches and pains going away!!

Congratulations!

When they fall asleep on you and you just have to sit there and give them a cuddle.

When they’re first born - watching them move and realising you recognise those movements from when they were inside you.

When you can see that they recognise your voice.

When they get a bit unsettled on someone else and you take them back and they relax because they just wanted mummy.

Their cute little yawns and stretches.

When they start to smile.

Letting them snooze on you and thinking you “should” put them down but then not doing it because it’s too lovely and they’re so little.

Walks in the pram.

Mastering feeding out and about and feeling like a pro.

When they first take an interest in a toy.

When you get to know them and can read their cues and you know if it’s a hungry cry or a tired cry or an uncomfortable one and then you sort it out.

I don't like newborns but I absolutely adore my 8m old (I also have a toddler too and I love her age as well!!). I love babies from 7m+, the gummy smiles and giggles and cuddles. My heart could burst!

I'm a SAHM and with my DDs pretty much 24/7 and I absolutely love being a mummy BUT the sleep deprivation in the early months is some next level shit. You won't be so happy getting up in the night with her after only having just been awake with her an hour earlier 😬

They way my DD looks up at me when I'm feeding her. Sleepy cuddles. Her smiles. Watching her discover the world around her. The way she makes little fists and brings them up to her face when feeding. How me and DH can't look at her without smiling.

Typing this as she's just woken after finally setting an hour and a half ago, looking for yet another feed - so worth it though

The cuddles and that love.

However, three unexpected pleasures for me have been dressing her. Like picking out clothes for the day. And feeding her. 11 months now and watching her try new and different foods. Just magic.

Finally watching her learn. Those first sounds,peek a boo, trying to put on a sock, knocking down bricks, lovely.

Even though you might be tired and irritated, the midnight feeds can be magical.

When you've figured out feeding (breast or bottle) and they're all milk drunk and stuffed to the gills.

Surprise burps and farts.

Seeing your partner/parents/children with the baby.

Having a bath together.

Their dear little (clean) bottoms.

Fat ass nappies.

That slow chuckle when they figure out something is funny.

Oh I forgot her little round belly - just can't help but kiss it every time I feed/change her!

When you stroke their head and it feel so soft under your fingers, like velvet.
The funny little faces they pull if they have a touch of wind or they are having a poo.
The way complete strangers are happy for you and stop to say congratulations in the street.
The tiny little clothes and the hats... I love baby hats.

And how smooth their skin is. I can't stop stroking DD when I'm changing her.

The gazing up looks as you're breastfeeding like they know you are the most wonderful mummy in the world

When they fart and laugh at themselves

When they snuffle into your neck and settle down

Sitting breastfeeding in the night looking out at the streetlights when you're the only one awake

Cuddling your own baby

When you laugh at something and they laugh too because you are laughing

Now my little girl is older (two), getting to be with her doing lovely things - baking together, having baths, running through the park, taking her swimming

Her sometimes just climbing on my knee and cuddling me while stroking my arm

The lovely parts go on and on and are just wonderful!

Their new baby smell
How their tiny hands curl around your finger
The knowing look in their unfocused eyes
When you hold them in the middle of the night wild eyed and knackered: then you look at them and catch your breath at how much you love them
Seeing their little vests snd sleep suits bobbing on a Line in the wind to dry
The very first time you see them, meet them and hold them. There truly is nothing like it.
When they give you a half trapped wind first smile. You will feel like Wonder Woman. And you are

Enjoy.
They are hard work but they are absolutely bloody amazing.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I am currently laid with my gorgeous 5 week old son, he fell asleep 20 mins ago and I know I should put him down but I just cherish this time

His head on me, one hand on my chest. It's the best feeling in the world.

Now get ready for some cheesiness but I can honestly say the best moments of my life have all happened since the moment he was placed on my chest.

He smiles at me now, and it's the most heart melting thing.

He is growing too fast. Enjoy every moment you get and do not let anyone rain on your parade.

Ah feck, I shouldn't have read this, I'm aching for another baby now and that's not good considering I'm too old and single 🤣

This is so lovely!

The hormones, the hormones.

These aren’t tears!

Breastfeeding. relentless at 1st but when you get into the swing of it it’s a chance to sit down with a cuppa (and MN) and a lovely cuddle all in one. I made sure I had a great kindle book on the go for the night feeds (which at the time felt a bit of a chore) but now I look back on it as a luxury to be able to read a whole book in a week.