It's not all bad, right? Please tell me your lovely experiences of early childhood..

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Thanks also from me, I really needed to read this thread as I have moments when I wonder what the hell I've let myself in for Good to know some of it at least will be nice...

MMJ, your son standing on the river bank looks exactly like Christopher Robin.

Having a newborn is fab, and much easier than all the horror stories suggest. My friend was asking me today how it was going and I told him that my three-month-old and I get up at 10.30 (having slept right through the night) and loll around all day grinning at each other, possibly go for a little pootle around the neighbourhood but maybe lie on the sofa with my boob in her mouth all afternoon while I watch Top Design.

Ignore anyone who says it's like having a hand grenade lobbed into your life. It's just lovely.

DD is 17 months so those days not too long ago. Yes, the first few weeks are hard but it gets so much easier so quickly. I already had a positive idea of what having a baby would be like, but it has exceeded my expectations. Gazing at the tiny perfect creature that you've created, cuddling them, kissing them and staring for hours on end. I also used to think they were boring and did nothing of note til about 9 months old but I was amazed to watch every tiny development from turning her little head to reaching out and grasping a toy. Amazing times and she just gets better every day!

Our flat is on lots of floors so I seemed to be going up and down stairs all day.

As I plodded down yet again one day with ds (tiny, not more than 3 months) on my shoulder, I realised he was softly patting my shoulder in time with each plod.

Not sure why that was so lovely, but it was - it was sort of understanding.

Up there with the slightly later time when he & I were looking into an estate agent's window and I was explaining this was where people bought houses to live in, & he thought & thought & then said reassuringly "In a really big bag."

lol bink

When you're breastfeeding and they look up at you with their hand on your breast, like "you're my Mum" - that connection!

When they've finished feeding and they are all contented and sleepy

cuddles, cuddles and more cuddles

Bringing generations together - for me it was seeing my Mum with my son, she was in so much of a rush to get in to hold him the 1st time she fell into the house!!

I like the imprint of a baby ear on my bare arm after a long breastfeed.

I don't know why people tell you everything is so terrible, I only seemed to hear good stories after I had ds, before it was all doom and gloom and people acting really smug, and telling you you didn't know what you were letting yourself in for.

I found labour much better than I had expected, and it is actually a really unique experience, when I look back I really can't remember feeling any pain, just being quite uncomfortable. What I really remember is being handed my newborn son, it is a feeling no one can descibe to you. The first few weeks at home with dh and ds were the most special of my life, the tiredness doesn't really kick in straight away and it is a lovely time, I was amazed at how much patience I had for this little person.

Don't listen to all the horror stories, you'll have your own experience, sometimes things won't go as smoothly as you hope but just go with, try to relax nad go with the flow.

I am expected my second baby in 6 weeks, and I really looking forward to all of it, I don't have the same worries I had first time. I intend to relax and enjoy it (labour included)!

First smile made me cry - happy tears of course! And they keep getting better ds is 2 and just gorgeous!

Oh Merryberry I'd forgotten about that ear imprint - aah

Little feet....so cute. I'd spend hours staring at them. DS1 and 2

Oh, it's wonderful. I remember the first night in hospital with DS - he slept, fed, I didn't get much sleep and looked like death in the morning when DH arrived. And all I could say was 'this is just great!'. And it was! Well, it still is. It's the hardest but best job I've ever had. There is nothing in this world like sitting up in bed, with your baby having a feed in the middle of the night. Everybody else is asleep, it's just you and him, and then you realise that there are thousands - millions - of mothers giving their baby a night-feed at that same time as you, and you feel part of humanity. Yep, it's knackering, and you will have to make changes to your current life, but it's also amazing and rewarding and I think I'd better stop burbling and go and have a shower now while the DCs are playing!

I had DS2 in February and it's just lovely to go back and do the tiny baby thing again, and even better to watch the initial suspicion of DS1 turn to wonderful love and cherishing.

Newborns are just so cute, as soon as you forget to panic there will be many moments of calm cuddles and snuggly sleep. Personally I hate it when strangers come up and invade our joint space though, I get like a dog with a bone!

Ignoring the hospital bit....when I got home with my precious newborn daughter was so wonderful.

Photo of four days old DD

It is hard work and very tiring but I never cared. I spend hours holding her and watching her sleep, her little eyelids fluttering and her lips so soft and kissable. I am sure I woke her up many times, just because I HAD to kiss and cuddle her. I adored drinking in the smell of her little head, the scent of newborn baby should be bottled for when you feel low.

I loved the way her face would turn towards me when I spoke and how she would instantly open her mouth and root for milk.

I am making myself very broody Not a problem, as we'll have another newborn in August

this thread is great. i am 30 weeks with my first, the least maternal women i know but it made me feel all gooey and excited!
its true that you get all the hard work/horror stories so its nice to hear some good ones too.

Even though you're knackered when they wake you up in the night, you soon realise just how precious those midnight moments are- only you get those middle of the night eyes. That's going to be an abiding memory for me of these early months- I'm always getting out my camera to take photos of my DS in the middle of the night, those wide eyes staring in wonder at the darkened room.

Oh, and the smell, the cuddles, the gorgeous poohs (sorry, but I really loved them- before the solids!), the amazement and amusement of watching him unfold from within himself and begin to experience the world around him.

It's just great, being a mum! You're going to LOVE it.

I love that every age and stage feels like the nicest so far. You think when they're first born, oh it'll never be better than this, but it is! Until they're 2 1/2 and throwing a wobbly because their baby sister has touched on of their engines...

My DD is two weeks old and every night is different - I am sitting here groggy from lack of sleep and sore from my CS and still wouldnt change a thing - you can't take your eyes of them and their repertoire of facial expressions is amazing.
And yes it is impossible to stop nuzzling the back of their necks, examining those tiny fingers, staring into those lovely blue eyes...no matter how knackered I feel I am aware that time passes so quickly and every moment should be cherished.
I wouldnt say it was grim at all, how could something so beautiful and brand new be grim?
Ignore the naysayers and just enjoy being a Mum

i love watching my dh with my dd, he puts his feet up and then pops him on his knees and they look at each other.

Also when he falls asleep after feeding, head proppped up by one arm, he looks like the thinker, and when he opens one eye when sleeping just as if to check we are still there.

It's great to read this thread... I too am due in August (august 4, to be specific) and it's my first pregnancy, and first baby. It's wonderful to read these great descriptions, I think they are very close to what I've experienced when my 2 nieces were born & I was so close to them, and I'm sure when it's my own baby it'll be much much closer (e.g. night feeds etc). I'm so looking forward to it, and we've waited relatively long for this (we had IVF to get pregnant, thankfully it worked first time).

I know it can be hard & tiring, of course, that's so obvious since there are so many new things to do, so many anxieties, it's such a transition. But I hate it too when people around me keep telling me again & again all those horror stories a) about birth and b) about newborns (and sometimes about pregnancy too). For god's sake, I'm not a moron, I know life changes with a baby, and I can imagine it's hard, my imagination can stretch THAT far! Pregnancy is hard & tiring too, but it's so wonderful knowing that the baby is safe & growing in there, that's is more than worth it! When I tell those people 'yes I think I understand that it's hard but I'm still looking forward to it' they say (with a knowing look) 'you know nothing, you'll see how much your life will change, forget about your life so far'. There have been only very few people- and I'm so thankful to them- who have described their joy & pleasure in their newborns too, so I'm so happy to read this thread.

Best wishes to everyone, and thanks again for writing all this! Keep it coming...
Maria

Ledodgy you brought a tear to my eye with your poetic post! And thanks to everyone else on here for brightening my day.

I'm due in 7 weeks with the first one and it's soooo nice reading all these posts. Yaboo to all those people who just say the negatives - and have some consideration - fancy telling someone about to pop all the bad things. Why would they do that?

Pregnancy trouble free so far, so I think I am naive in thinking it will all be a breeze, but hard work or not, I just can't wait!

I'm like some of you and was not at all maternal. I stopped anyone who tried to tell me negative birth stories and only listened to the positive ones. Who needs to know, it will be a unique experience for everyone.

The best advice I was given by so many people was to 'enjoy every minute as it goes so fast'. And it does, my dd is almost 6 months and time is flying by. I love her more everyday and delight in all the new things she learns, her little expressions and general gorgeousness. When she wakes and wants to play at 4am, I let her (sometimes) as I wont have those moments again. So I yawn and smile while she has a little kick about in the cot.

It only changes your life if you let it. I still put my makeup on everyday while she watches - teach 'em good grooming early . I dont understand people still in pajamas at 2 unless you have had a very bad night and they do happen, but not every day.

You'll love it. Good luck to all you August deliveries.

Corrie you're right on the money about the night feeds - I loved them, and was kind of wistful when my baby started sleeping through.

She was born in China the week of those snowstorms in January (I think they made the news worldwide). I will always remember so vividly standing at the window holding her over my shoulder and watching the snow fall on the completely dark, empty city.

My first is 4 weeks and I'm loving it. It's just facinating - he does something new everyday - a new face, a different gurgle, a bigger smile. It is amazing how long you can spend staring at each other! He feeds every two hours during the night which could be knackering but we just stay in bed till 10 or 11 till we've caught up a bit on sleep. (Everyone with two or more has said really make the most of this time with your first as you can just go with the flow and do what they want to do.)Lovely feeling of falling in love with them more each day espcially in the first week. Was worried about how it might affect relationship with DH but (so far) it's just brought us closer as we are both so in love with our little boy and as other said seeing DH with baby just melts your heart! Good luck and enjoy.