Anyone hated being pregnant so much that having a newborn was a relief?

[Ruibies]

And did that feeling last??

I'm so over being pregnant and at 36w time is moving in slow motion. I am desperate for the baby to be here so I can start to get my body back to myself, hopefully my pelvis will stop falling apart and my backache will ease up a bit, and heartburn won't be a regular occurrence anymore. It's lovely to feel baby moving and know they are ok, but the movements often make me feel sea sick. I would very much like to not be hosting this baby much longer.

But then everyone is like 'oh well you won't know what's hit you when they arrive!' as if pregnancy (despite being shit) is infinitely better than having the baby around. Maybe there'll be some short-lived respite at least??

Interested to hear anyone else's experiences, especially if pregnancy was tough.

The only bit of pregnancy I enjoyed was between 20 and 30 weeks with my first baby, when I absolutely bloomed and looked and felt amazing. The rest of that pregnancy and both my subsequent ones were just a means to an end. There was no blooming in my other pregnancies, I was too knackered and the nausea and sickness weren't fun. Having a newborn was easy in comparison.

I’d happily go through labour twice if I could skip being pregnant. With my second dc, it was such a relief to have a newborn and get on with things compared with being pregnant. . And I had learned the importance of common sense - not to stay up all night staring at my perfect creation that first night but get some bloody sleep, to accept (and demand) help, to use the nipple shields, etc.

My second pregnancy was truly miserable. I felt ill every single day and I couldn't wait to give birth. When DD arrived my symptoms all slowly disappeared and the first two weeks with DD were a sleepless but blissful blur. By week three DD's reflux well and truly kicked in (caused by CMPA). Week seven and DD now sleeps whilst held, feeds (awful experience) and screams. Hopefully the new formula and medication kicks in soon and DD can get some relief.

So I can't personally say the newborn stage is easy in comparison but it's good to feel physically well.

Yes. Like Izzy I had a difficult twin pregnancy. Hospitalised the month before birth. Pre-eclampsia, spd, severe anaemia. Hadn't realised how bad I was feeling until after twins were born. Felt so much better - even sleep deprived and recovering from C-section. Plus wasn't woken up for obs every two hours - being woken by babies for a feed was much nicer.

I had a really bad labour op that resulted in an emergency c section after being in hospital 5 days so by the time dd was here I was just relieved to not be in labour even with the pain from the c section I felt so relieved that DD was here it felt easy in comparison to the late pregnancy and labour stage

When I gave birth I literally felt all the crapness/ill feeling of pregnancy leave my body as I was pulling my baby out. It was an incredible feeling, and the main thing keeping me going this pregnancy like an instant relief of symptoms. I can't explain it. I found newborn days/parenting in general so much easier than pregnancy

I'm another one OP! Sickness and just generally miserable for about six months, so much fatigue! And then I just couldn't wait to meet the baby, plus the being big (though I never got really huge) People all said the same to me, but I loved the newborn stage! I have to say though, I did have decent support and friends who were all having babies around the same time, so I wasn't isolated. I think that probably makes a big difference.

I hated every part of pregnancy. 4 babies later and I can honestly say having a newborn is far easier.

Yes yes yes both times (and newborn twins w a toddler was easier than being pregnant). I had ante natal depression as well as physical discomfort that lifted as soon as I had given birth. Looking after newborns brings such joy and not feeling ill or in pain and depressed is wonderful. Never again.

I loved feeling the baby move - amazing knowing a little human was growing inside

Other than that pregnancy was hideous for me, sick for the first 5 months, loads of spit, bleeding gums, horrible sense of smell , swollen legs, feet and face (oh the joy of looking in a mirror after the birth and seeing my normal face!) pregnancy clothes and shoes because of swollen feet, being so immobile. After my second birth I felt a massive relief that I would never have to be pregnant again - btw I had c sections first after a day of labouring 2nd elective but overall my birth experiences weren't too bad

Having a newborn was hard work but amazing, ups and downs but wonderful. Having a toddler and a newborn was so easy compared to being pregnant with a toddler!

Me too. Hyperemersis and SPD meant I was in massive amounts of pain and being sick all the time. I loved having a newborn even though he was an absolutely appalling sleeper. The relief of actually having a baby after all that worry is immense.

Sort of, yes.

Towards the end of my pregnancy with DD2, I had terrible edema (not preeclampsia, just feet that wouldn't fit into my shoes). It hurt to walk, I was the size of a house, I'd gained 60 lbs on top of being over BMI to begin with, and DD2 was past dates. Getting rid of the water retention alone after she was born was a blessed relief.

I've never found the newborn phase very easy, but that relieved feeling took centre stage for a couple of days (long enough to give me an energy boost to get out of hospital and back home). And it was still a quiet undercurrent when my newborn-phase anxiety and stress kicked in.

Bottom line: the crappy physical feelings from being pregnant stopped once she was out.

Sort of yes. I will say I found the newborn stage really hard but in a completely different way from pregnancy so there was some sense of relief. With my first in particular I remember suddenly realising on the first night in hospital I'd basically ended up lying flat and I didn't have any heartburn at all and being so happy!
Also I remember thinking when leaving hospital that my pelvic issues (SPD / PGP) must be resolving quickly because I was finding walking down the corridor less than 2 days after a ventouse delivery and episiotomy easier than I'd found walking anywhere in late pregnancy!

Another big yes here! Pregnancy is one of the hardest things I've ever done and I got so many "you just wait" comments. It's so u kind that people say that to pregnant women. Yes, having a newborn baby makes you sleep deprived, but at least you can actually sleep for a few hours in between feeds etc, or if your OH takes the baby for a bit.

Don't worry OP, a lot of people love the newborn stage, myself included. I felt well again and had the energy to enjoy my new baby. I hope it's the same for you xx

100%

I didn't like being pregnant, trapped in an uncomfortable body.

Luckily my dc was an easy newborn, so the baby stage was better.

After HG emcs recovery was a doddle.
3 years later, after HG and a 2 year old, crash section recovery was still preferable.

Me!! Newborn was a breeze compared to the sickness I had in pregnancy. People kept saying how well I looked after I’d had DS and I was like yes because I’m not throwing up every day!!

Also I had hip pain and it disappeared instantly.

I know you've got three pages of answers but I have to just come in and say Yes, yes yes to this! I found pregnancy horrendous each time. Hated all the sensations, the kicks, the sickness, the heaviness. I LOVED the newborn stage by far the easiest for me/us. Our babies were an absolute dream but have only got progressively more challenging as they've grown older. I always feel out of sync with others I talk to and very rarely feel able to say this at all due to sensitivities to those who have lost babies or had a difficult newborn stage. Wishing you well OP!

I was very very ill in all my pregnancies. Eldest was a walk in the park as a newborn, excellent sleeper, lovely personality and a pleasure and is still like that.

My pregnancy with my youngest was the worst one ever - I weighed less than at the start a lot less. He was delivery early due to the pregnancy and my illness - it will be fine I thought. I don’t know the nice way to say this but he so wasn’t. As a baby he was a nightmare - he did not sleep and still doesn’t nearly a decade later. He was constantly hungry and vomited constantly with illness after illness. He must have been in a and e at least 10 times in the first 6 months. I had constant hallucinations from lack of sleep. I went back to work when he was a year old and I got more peace in the day from my demanding stressful job. I love him to the moon and back and wouldn’t be without him for anything. But….. no I spent weeks in hospital with HG and eclampsia and he didn’t stop screaming as a newborn for at least the first 5 months. He has no milk allergies or anything but my giddy aunt he drank milk so much he drew blood and vomited 🤮 he is a lovely lovely boy now but a total nightmare as a pregnancy and a newborn.

Yes, definitely. I had horrible insomnia which started at about a week after I’d conceived DD, I was so tired by 6 months I wasn’t safe to go out alone. 24/7 nausea for about the first 4 months which nothing helped with. Yo-yo blood pressure so I kept fainting. PGP in the last few months which felt like a knife with every step. And I put on several stone between the weight of DD, normal pregnancy weight gain, & water retention. Oh and the swelling was so bad by about 8 months that I couldn’t bend my knees more than 90 degrees, I couldn’t actually reach my own feet to put socks or shoes on. DD was big (I’m small) & I was very uncomfortable towards the end, I developed a UTI in the last few weeks which wasn’t under control by the time I went into labour - contractions with a UTI are awful as they sting & the pain doesn’t go away in between.

The first night after I’d given birth I slept brilliantly. Everything except the PGP & the weight got better within a couple of days. The swelling disappeared in a fortnight but I’m still trying to lose the last of the weight, & I still intermittently get the PGP. DD is nearly 10. And an only child.

I’ve got a 2.5 year old and four month old and still prefer baby and toddler to pregnant with toddler.

Yes! Felt awful for the whole pregnancy, once baby was out I felt so much better, despite the soreness! The tiredness from having a newborn was unreal but better than feeling sick, bloated and in pain. The worst thing for me about pregnancy was that eating was difficult due to sickness etc the whole time, and I really love eating... and once baby arrived, as I was breastfeeding as well, I could finally eats loads

God yes. I can't tell you the relief of having my body back even with the post birth recovery. Yes every age has its challenges but for me (8 years on) nothing was as tough as that last trimester

My first pregnancy wasn’t particularly “bad” objectively (I wasn’t high risk, no HG etc)… I still fucking hated every minute.

Having a newborn was so much easier because I could hand her to DH even if it was only for 10 minutes. You can’t pause being pregnant for 10 minutes, there’s no escaping how uncomfortable it is. 0-4 months with DD was an absolute breeze in comparison (don’t talk to me about 4-6 months in lockdown but she’s nearly 2 now and generally delightful again)

That all said I’m pregnant again now because I know the end result is worth it, DD is the absolute light of my life so I know I just have to endure the pregnancy bit until I can meet DC2 and then I’m never doing this again!