Positive Just You Waits

[MJulieM]

Hi,
Im 12 days PP and admittedly emotional and perhaps got the baby blues. This is my first child and i wasnt quite prepared for how much love I would feel for my newborn upon his arrival. However I have cried daily since 3 days PP due to the constant comments of "just you wait you'll turn around and they'll be a teenager" or "dont blink or you'll miss it" ect. This is giving me great anxiety that i am going to miss my little ones childhood. Even getting out of the house today with my partner and baby for a walk to get fresh air. We stopped for some lunch and people on the neighbouring tables were telling me "you need to appreciate every second because before you know it they will be 50 year old" causing me to get upset and asking my partner if we could leave. It got so bad that I was choosing not to sleep because in my mind if i didnt sleep I would maximise my time with my baby, I know this isnt healthy behaviour.
I'm very anxious for milestones such as growing out of baby clothes or loosing the newborn scrunch. I feel as though i went from so much joy and love in the first few days PP to having my bubble popped prematurely and veing replaced with crippling anxiety about my baby growing before I know it and can appreciate it.
I know im robbing myself further of time by spending all mytime being anxious about this and whats next rather than enjoying my baby in the here and now.
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Im reaching out to other moms who have been through similar and came out the other side or moms that can give positive "just you waits" which will help change my perspective. I left lunch today having a full blown panic attack due to comments from passers by and know this outlook is not sustainable and robbing me of a time that should be my happiest especially as we were unsure if we could conceive and went through a lengthy process to get to where we are now with our child.
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Thankyou for your input and advice.

The things you have to look forward to over the coming months
The "firsts".... the smile, the laugh, the crawl, the steps, the words
The sheer look of joy they get when they see you
The snuggly baby napping on you.

Then as they get bigger they are always learning something new and finding another way to make you proud.

Its truly amazing.

I have an 11 month old now and can genuinely say watching your baby get bigger, stronger, more active, is like a true magic in real life.

It is amazing to see the baby that once couldn’t even hold their own head up suddenly be able to sit independently or stand on wobbly legs beside you, it’s exciting when the baby that used to just stare at you suddenly starts smiling and giggling back at you, or you get your first word, every one of those milestones is to be celebrated, it’s your baby doing exactly what healthy babies do and that is grow up.

It is a beautiful thing.

Please speak to your midwife and health visitor for some support OP x

Mother of a nearly 7 year old here. I could go on forever but:

Just you wait...

For the first smile
For the first laugh (I actually jumped back in shock!) followed by great, joyful belly laughs
For weaning - I had so much fun with it!
For the first tooth and how much their little faces change with each tooth
For messy play and puddle jumping
For the first time they hold their arms out for you to pick them up
For the first time your child makes you a pretend cup of tea
For the first teddy bears picnic
For the look on their face when they first seen you in the morning at about a year old
For the first time they tell you they love you (and every time since)
For sleepy snuggles in your bed (I don't know how much longer D's will see a sleep over in my room as a treat!)
For the little friendships they make and the cutest tiny hugs and excitement together

There are so many wonderful times ahead of you, I've enjoyed every stage more than the next. There are hard days and days where you wonder when your baby became a toddler then small child then big child, but it's amazing watching the tiny being you created grow and learn and become their own person.

The first couple of weeks for me were tough - your entire world has hanged and you're healing physically and emotionally. If it continues for much longer have a chat with your health visitor, but ultimately it will all be ok, you've got a little sidekick for life now.

With my first I felt like screaming 'I'm really fucking trying too' back at people with those sort of comments. I found it so hard seeing my little boy grow, knowing I couldn't go back to him being a baby. Then these well meaning comments were so difficult to take. In reality it's just people wanting to say something to acknowledge your lovely little baby but it's tough when you're in that frame of mind.

If it helps, it didn't last forever. Now I'm so excited by how he's growing and the person he's becoming. I've found my second much easier in that respect too because I know what the good 'just you waits' can be.

From recent experiences:

Just you wait... For your child to be scared to do something then finally doing it for the first time (diving under the water in this case, I celebrated with him like he'd won the Olympics!)

Just you wait... For their first teenage style ughhhhhh mummm (at only 4 and so very very funny!).

Just you wait for their first best friend.

Just you wait for the funny little questions, like 'mummm, is it hard having kids?'.

Now I think wow why was I so worried about how fast the future would come, it's fantastic!

Oh I understand this, I'm still getting it a lot. I think it's clumsy people's attempt at making conversation and also reminiscing but it's infuriating. Some firsts you'll enjoy; the first time you truly see your baby smile at you, a real deliberate smile that isn't just wind! The first time they offer you their favourite toy and keep toddling over with it as a gift to you. The first time you sleep (yes, you will!) without having nightmares of dropping the baby, the first time you see baby trying new foods and enjoying them. There are so many and the firsts for you too, the first time you sit back and take the time to absorb just how brilliantly you've done in giving birth to a baby and in nurturing them, giving them everything they need to keep growing, you're doing great!