Do pregnancy hormones make you love your first born even more?

[Malheursdesophie]

Lighthearted but curious to hear what everyone's experience is.
34 weeks pregnant with DC2 and have 3 year old DC1. We've always had a strong bond but find that I am currently absolutely and completely obsessed with him! I think he is the cutest thing alive I want to kiss and cuddle him all day long and like the love is so much my heart is going to explode. Is it a hormonal pregnancy thing?
I'm actually getting nervous as my due date approaches that it will be the end of an era and him being my one and only love of my life (I love my partner too of course but you know what I mean :D). Feeling really emotional about it! My little sidekick

Yes I think so! I kept crying during labour with DD2 because I was worried about DD1 😂 and the impact of a new baby on her.

It is the end of an era. We had lovely times just DD1 and I - I worked part time and she was also 3 when DD2 was born, so we had a few years of it being all about her.

Just to add - I also cried the night before I gave birth to DD1 because I was going to miss my husband when I went in to hospital - I knew he wouldn’t be able to stay with me the full time (I was being induced). So, I had similar emotions both times - end of an era etc.

I am totally the same, I just go and stare at my 3yo whilst he is asleep! And I am constantly sniffing his hair :-D (I'm 30 weeks)

Part of me thinks it is because I am scared that I won't be able to give him all of my attention soon enough, and it makes me sad. End of an era and him being my baby :(

Are we just hormonal?! haha! x

I feel the same at the moment 🥺 I'm 34w and he's only 1 y/o.

Just love him so much and feeling guilty he won't have all my attention and will be too young to understand what's going on.

Hugs to all of you feeling the same, I'm actually feeling tearful reading your messages.i think it's not helped by the pandemic, we've spent 18 months in each other's pockets, just our little family unit and it's made us even closer. My boy keeps telling me I'm his best friend at the moment too and it's just so sweet.

@shellfishblastard can totally see myself crying in labour! Also upset at being away in hospital for one night, I've never not been there to tuck him in. How did it work out with your 2 DD, did you quickly find a new normal ?

@amz6219 yes to watching him sleep and smelling him, I keep asking DH if he thinks I'm a weirdo haha.

@Amichelle84 it's so hard! But hopefully with him being one he won't know any different and embrace all the changes

Just cried reading these (very emotional atm) I'm already worrying about leaving my DD (3) when I have the baby and how her life will change as she is our everything.
Everyone tells me it makes the family seem complete having a second but just can't imagine it yet but I know she'll be a great big sister.

Yeah this happened to me when I was pregnant with my first. I became obsessed with DH. I'd look at his lovely nose and thick, black eye lashes and well up with tears because I loved him soooo much lol.

I made a thread about it on here at the time and I remember one poster saying it was completely normal and that she'd felt the same about her cat when she was pregnant!

As soon as DC1 was born, I transferred all those feelings onto her and resumed normal feelings of appreciation + minor irritation for DH.

Oh, and I'm sure your DD will be fine. Mine was 3 when I had my second DC and she was as besotted with him as we all were. Bringing him home from hospital was like bringing her the best present ever. Now they are best mates (and sometimes worst enemies).

A sibling is a lovely gift to her. Bless you. Don't worry about anything.

Yes we quickly found a new normal. I was away for two nights in total. She wasn’t aware the first night as we put her to bed before I had to go to hospital.

She was allowed into the labour ward to meet her baby sister, which was lovely.

Being 3 she was that bit older and understood a bit better. I just tried to include her as much as possible - get her to help with her sister etc. But it is what it is really. It’s going to have an impact.

I found that late pregnancy/childbirth hormones were priming me to love the new baby. I had a home birth with DC2 and was absolutely overflowing with love for everyone who was around during labour and the first couple if hours after DC2 was born. So I loved DH more, and DC1 and my friend who looked after DC1 when I was in labour and dropped her round shortly after the new baby was born, and I developed a slightly embarrassing crush on my midwife. Oxytocin is pretty amazing.

I don't know. I am close to calling an exorcist for my threenager.
(only 12+ weeks now though)

That's how I feel @YYY85 - I am scared to leave him when I go in to hospital because I know he'll be asking where I am, and people tell me that your heart just expands when you have 2nd but I can't picture it right now

I just love him so much

sobs

Yup! I'm nearly 30w with DC2 and 3 and suddenly feel much more tolerant towards DD's threenager behaviour and am more affectionate with her.