Over being pg. how much harder can caring for a newborn be!?

[Bellini28]

Evening ladies.

I deliver via ELCS next week. Second baby but first was nine years ago so memories are distant.

This pregnancy has been what they call 'low risk' but I'm so tired of moving at a snails pace, peeing six times a night, swollen feet and now I've developed carpel tunnel syndrome :( so each morning I want to cry. I just feel so stiff and out of breath. Oh and the heartburn is divine.... Plus I don't miss at all (sobs)
Am starting to think it is easier recovering from childbirth and caring for newborn over the end of pregnancy!

I sound like a right moany mare - I'm just fed up but super excited to meet my new baby. Anyway I just wanted to ask those ladies whose memories are better... If there is indeed huge relief and ease once baby is out? ..... Or must I make the most of this final week!??

Make the most of it, my DS3 is 2 weeks old and I had an ELCS. I've had about 4 hours sleep in the last fortnight and feel like I'm in a fog!!

Definitely make the most of it - late pregnancy is hard, but sleep deprivation whilst recovering from birth, and possibly still suffering some of the late pregnancy side effects (carpal tunnel, sciatica etc don't just vanish with labour) is definitely harder! Totally worth it though, especially a few months weeks later when you're feeling better and it coincides with slightly more sleep

I disagree with the others - having a newborn is easy compared to late pregnancy. I had a c section. I did have severe spd that left me pretty much immobile though so possible was in more of a state than I might have been.

It is great to have no indigestion, no pelvic pain and a scrummy baby to cuddle me instead of stomping on my cervix

I am knackered though!

I was so ill through each pregnancy that looking after my newborns felt like a walk in the park!

Sorry you feel so rotten .

And good luck for next week!!

I have 3 dcs and the newborn phase was always easier for me than the pregnancy.
More sleep, more energy, less pain, more ease of movement. Plus you can put the baby down and hand it to someone else for a while.

Good luck, I hope in a week you will be holding your lovely baby in your arms and starting to feel better

I agree, I found recovering from a section easier than late pregnancy. Good luck.

I always thought that late pregnancy was awful because it gave us the motivation to push the baby out.
I find newborns much easier than late pregnancy but I do seem to get a lot of pregnancy issues quite early on. I'm only at 27 weeks but I'm desperate for February to arrive so I can sleep and get out of bed without having to do an elaborate roll.

I'm firmly in the 'caring for a newborn is far better than pregnancy' camp. Expecting my second now and whilst I appreciate how fortunate I am, I really dislike being pregnant especially towards the end. After I had DC1 I remember an almost immediate sense of relief that I had my mobility back, could sleep however I wanted, didn't have to keep getting up for the loo and I'm sure I was awash with happy hormones because even the night feeds didn't really feel like a chore.

crikey... i think looking after a newborn (post section too) is far easier and preferable to pregnancy. early or late!!
approaching 2nd cs with 2nd dc and i am never ever doing this pregnancy thing again. ever.

Depends on the baby and how bad the pregnancy was. In my case pregnancy was far easier that looking after a newborn. However this time round might be very different!

I've never had a cs but have had a third degree tear, SPD & Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.

I would definitely say looking after a newborn is easier then the end of pregnancy.

Good luck with everything!

An booked for elective on 15th and agree with you.

I have heartburn and indigestion, sciatica, carpal tunnel, pains everywhere from neck down, feel constantly sick and am not sleeping.

I am due to have number 2 next month and I was just saying to my DH earlier that I couldn't wait to get my body back so that I could move, bend down etc. Then I remembered that after number one I certainly got my body body back but I was unable to use it because I was permanently glued to the sofa feeding a newborn. My baby boy loved snuggling on the sofa and I felt really trapped and frustrated, desperate to move.

Think I will be using a sling this time. I also have a toddler so I will NOT be glued to the sofa regardless.

I also found number one newborn a huge shock to the system and so not easy. My good friend (and some others) have since had second babies and say the second is a breeze compared to the first and they couldn't figure out why the first had been so hard at all.

Good luck for next week, btw. I feel your excitement and can;t wait to join you on the other side.

Good luck. I am jealous. I have 6 weeks to go. Having DC 3 by CS. Can't blooming wait. I feel experienced enough to say for me that a newborn is easier than late pregnancy, bloodey hate it. Insomnia, heartburn, constant weeing, unable to bend down to put on shoes/pick stuff up/help DC's get dressed, unable to sleep on front.
A newborn is a piece of cake by comparison, and bring on the wine.

Last few weeks of pregnancy awful. Ditto the first few weeks with newborn. Probably the hardest period of my life.

But then it does all get better so quickly!

Sorry, I'm going to go against the grain here. I loved being pregnant, hated the newborn phase. I had crippling PND with both DDs so that has probably coloured my opinion!

Another one with 3DC who thinks the newborn stage is much easier than late pregnancy.
It's one of the things that puts me off having another (with 3DC under 5, running around after them while heavily pregnant would be horrendous!) that and no one willing to go halves on another!

I only have one DC so far but found life with a newborn SO much easier than any stage of the pregnancy!

I just want to laugh. I had SPD with DD1, morning sickness for the full 9 months, and chicken pox at the end. It was a walk in the park compared to DD1 as newborn.

With DD2 I bloomed, she would have been easier than pregnancy, but I already had DD1....

I think a lot of it depends on the baby. DD1 was a never sleeps, eats 15 times a day sort of a girl.

ds is a month old on Tuesday and colicky as hell. give me late pregnancy anyday.

I've not had a c section but 41 weeks with my third. All have been easy pregnancies. My two so far slept fairly well from the start and were in own room and beds by a couple of months.
I guess some babes are easier than others but I can't wait to get this next kid out. I'm so fed up. I know its going to be hard with a 4 and 2 year old but I just wNt to get back into a routine.

Another one who thinks a newborn is easier than late pregnancy; I could cry that I'm only 33 weeks and have 7-9 weeks left of being big and uncomfortable and not the mum I want to be to my other two dc.

All that said, I'm over the moon to be pregnant after two losses and have to keep reminding myself of that fact!!

It'll be worth it in the end and dp who thinks he wants at least one more after this can think again!!