Surely there's something good about newborns

[AngelaCarleen]

I am 28 weeks pregnant with our first baby, and ever since we told people all we have heard is that come february our lives will be over. We'll no longer be able to sleep, at all! We'll have no money (and never will again). We'll never ever ever be able to go out again. The list goes on and on and on.

I know that there is another similar thread on here with a rather provocative title, but surely there's something nice about newborns, and what they grow into, or the human race would have come to an end centuries ago.

So please please tell me something good.

You know, the one thing that got me more than anything else was that when the hospital managed to prize DS off me, I would wander around to the nursery and I would be able to tell you which one was my son, in a room of atleast 6 babies.

You have this instant connection. I could tell MY baby in a room of other babies in a nanosecond.

With DD, I didn't even send her to the nursery... I wanted her with me.

Oh, you will love your little bundle and, even when it's terribly tough, just remember that, when you look back, you will remember the good bits!!

Hm x

ditto the wonderful facial expressions in the sleep - I'm sitting here with my lump 8 week old DS asleep on my lap, and he's been gurning away. very cute.

I spent the first couple of weeks just staring at him in awe - couldn't believe i'd made a whole person.
plus when he first latched on and fed properly - amazing. (oh, and he's put on 4 and a half lbs since birth just through me breastfeeding him - that's pretty bloody incredible too!)

despite no sleep for 8 weeks, i'm totally in love (as is DP!)

I haven't posted on the other thread because it's too long and I think the OP has disappeared, but I loved the newborn days and didn't find them that hard. What helps is:

• Don't focus on "when they sleep through the night" - I had a really long latent stage of labour and didn't sleep for 3 days until DS was born (when we promptly both went to sleep for 8 hours! ) and the thought of just one hour of sleep at a time was amazing, so I was quite glad when he gave me 2 hours in a block I got used to that and then he started to sleep about 3 hours at a time, etc etc. In fact I'd recommend hiding clocks in the bedroom so you're not focusing on what time they wake etc - just catch sleep when you can if you are tired.

• Don't try to do anything else. The housework is not important. Do the bare minimum - you don't even have to get dressed if you aren't having visitors. (And visitors should not expect the house to be spotless. They should also be prepared to make their own - and your - tea!)

• Get one or more of the following: A large supply of books/magazines. A few DVD box sets. A few series stacked up on Sky+. A laptop with internet access for Mumsnet/iplayer/4od. And a stash of sandwiches, ready meals and anything else you can eat one handed.

Newborns are gorgeous... I love the way their little hands are all curled up and they hold onto your fingers really really tight. I used to love how when I was feeding DS lying down, he would pop off and rest his head on my boob like a pillow when he had finished. They are so cute and scrunched up when they are asleep. When they are on your tummy for the first time when they are born their wriggling and squirming feels so familiar.

Newborn babies are wonderful! Of course they are hard work! But thats ok isn't it? We don't have children as pets, or as dollies, they are little human beings so take over our lives. For me, that was sort of the point.

The things I love about newborns:
The all encompassing sense of love that exists
Their smell
The noise they make when they cry
Breastfeeding
Their toes
The movements they make - knowing that each movement is meaning something major to them, learning something new
The amazing, wonderful feeling of looking at them for hours, without them having to do a thing, just feeling something unexplainable that makes me smile
Feeling of achievement. We created that little newborn, DH and I.
The excitement of watching them grow into not so newborns, and then toddlers.
Cuddles.

Have you ever been madly wholly head over heels in love? Well you will be in 12 weeks time!

Lines of little babygros drying are very very sweet. Also, you see your DH in a whole new way for loving your little baby so much. I also used to get thoroughly hacked off with people telling me my life would be over. They're just trying to prepare you for the tough bits (of which there are many) but don't let them make you forget all the really nice bits too :-)

Newborn babies are just amazing for all the reasons stated by other posters.

Their smell, the weight of them on you, their tiny fingers and toes, the snuffling and the first magical time they feed.

DC3 is 4 months now and I miss the newborn phase.

And I got more sleep post-birth than I did in pregnancy as co-sleep and breastfeed.

New babies are just perfect! I think it is really unnecessary an unkind of your friends/ acquaintances to be so negative. There are lots of lovely things too

They make gorgeous little chuntering noises when they are asleep and your heart swells so much you can hardly contain yourself with utter happiness and love.

They are funny when they stretch and spread their little perfect fingers.

Awwww. It'll be the most joyous time of your life.

Don't listen to all that negative stuff, the good well out balances the bad.

This is lovely!

BTW, I am expecting things to change, I'm just not seeing all the changes as bad things.

Tis true your life will be over, but only the life as you know it. And a new one begins.

Have you ever tried to explain falling in love? It is very difficult but there is no better feeling in the world. And much of the time you fall in love with your newborn at first sight.

Plus there is no greater pleasure than a sleeping newborn on your chest. It is sheer unadulterated heaven.

new borns are gorgeous and it is exactly like falling in love

When mine fell asleep on my shoulder, tiny little boys with their pouty lips slightly ajar, I used to sit for ages staring at them, loving them.

Baby breath is divine, little puffs of warm milky magic against your cheek.

I can quite honestly say I have never experienced anything that has made me more contented than having my newborn sons sleeping on my shoulder.

oh god I used to get so pissed off with all the doomsayers when I was pregnant with ds.... bugger off you ungrateful and unsuitable parents. I was sooo loved up (for all the reasons many have mentioned) when he actualy arrived and enjoyed just mooning about with my new baby. It's a very precious time. Do take the advice to do bugger all but hang out with your baby and you'll be fine. Yes they cry and you loose sleep, but well...... just the sheer love and joy outways all of that.

They're adorable when they're asleep

Ohmilord - I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS!

Hope it goes well.

This thread just made me dig out this photo of DS at 2 days old - top newborn photo tip, use the Macro function (looks like a little flower symbol).

I loved the newborn stage, it's the most awe-inspiring time you can't believe that you've made something so perfect and beautiful. Yes, you'll be tired and of course your social life will change but it's so worth it. We actually found that we didn't suffer too much financially because although our income dipped we went out for dinner/drinks a lot less so saved a lot of money that way.

Ignore the negative people, it's just like the stories you hear about childbirth - people only want to tell you the scary horrible stories, not the lovely happy ones.

Z x

Yes to the soft, cuddly snuggliness [broody emoticon], but for me the absolute best bit was the velvetty skin on the nape of their necks. It doesn't stay that way for long, and goes all silky and lovely instead, but I liked the velvetty bit best.

And when they snuggle into your shoulder and go to sleep.

Or when your dh is cuddling the baby in bed, dh wearing nothing, and the baby just in a nappy and a vest, and the baby stretches his legs out, curls his toes into dh's pubes, then pulls his legs up fast!! The look on dh's face was priceless!

I love having a newborn, although I dont think my DS counts as one anymore as he is nearly four months old.

He is a very good baby, never really cries for feeds, sleeps well and was sleeping through at 7 weeks through no real effort he is just quite a sleepy baby.

More generally:
They make cute snuffly noises when they sleep

When they fall alseep on you they are so soft and warm and you can sit and kiss their cheeks as much as you like because they are YOUR baby!

Its such a special time and one that is over far o quickly in my opinion..

Well it is hard work BUT they smell and feel soooo lovely. Even on my 3rd I can't get over that. And I am knocked out by the lack of sleep (DS3 is 2 weeks old today) but will go for a nap now as he has finally fallen asleep on my shoulder and I guarantee I'll waste half an hour just gazing at him. Even if objectively they look a bit, well, odd you will think they are the most beautiful person on the planet.

The thing is that nothing really prepares you for the difficult bits, but nor can you understand how great it will be either (IME at least but perhaps I have no imagination!).

Oh, thank god for this thread. I had a meltdown yesterday after reading the other thread, and being told over and over and OVER again by EVERYONE that things will be really really hard, and that my life will be one long slog filled with sleep-deprivation, psychosis and ooze.

I have almost completely stopped looking forward to the whole thing, but this is starting to revive me a little.

The smell. Their delicious little heads and milky breath.
They sleep on you.
They look hilarious after a big feed - all milk-drunk.
They are portable.

And there is something quite lovely about night feeds - a warm snuggly little person and a quiet house.