Sooo many wonderful things! They far outweigh the bad things.
The look, smell and feel of your new bubba is the most amazing thing in the world.
They look at you like you are their whole world - because you are.
Their firsts of everything (smile, laugh, giggle, wave, rollover) are priceless. I SMSed all my family and friends when DS rolled over for the first time
Some coping strategies:
-Somebody already mentioned this, but once I had resigned myself to the fact that I WOULD have to get up two or three times for a feed during the night, I dealt with it much better.
-Accept any and all offers of help. From your partner, parents, siblings, neighbours, friends - whoever.
-Forget about the housework. It's the most patient thing in the world, it'll wait for you forver
-Rest whenever you can. Try not to schedule a lot of stuff so if you have a crappy night, you don't have to be anywhere the next day. I stay a lot calmer after a bad night if I know that I have the next day to recover.
-Listen to all advice, but discard things that don't feel right for you. I found that if you just let people tell you what they wanted to, they are happy. They never need to know that you disagree with them.
-Most of all - listen to your instinct. I disregarded all the advice of Mothers' Group nurses, most midwives etc etc and feed and cuddled DS to sleep until he was 8 months old. This is what just felt right for us.
Bub will only be a bub for such a short time so enjoy it!
- DO NOT try to do everything, the housework isnt going to go anywhere, it can wait!
- Take a nap during the day if you can while bubs is asleep, it makes it easier when you are getting up for night feeds, you arent as tired
- If someone offers help, take it - if someone offers to hold bub while you do the housework, tell them to get stuffed get them to do the housework, you need to rest
- Go for a walk once a day, round your area, or in bad weather around the shops. You'd be surprised how much better you feel after some exercise, especially on the days where you've gotten very little sleep the night before
- If you need help ask. Ask your partner to do some extra chores for the first few weeks or months. Ask a friend to c0ome round & watch bub while you have a bath, etc
-Dont stress about being in your PJs all day & not having time to have a shower or clean your teeth LOL
- Do what you feel is right, you know whats best for you & your baby
And most important of all, You bub is only this young once. Enjoy every minute of it. Good & bad, its all part of the journey. And take lots of pictures, they grow so fast!
I second going for a walk with bub in the pram, you get the exercise and feel better plus you get to show your bub off. THat is the best part, being the proud mum.
I am finding that motherhood, while always good got so so much better for me from about 4months, and it keeps getting better. We sorted out his reflux, over his colic, topping him up with formula and he was more interactive. The first 6 weeks unti lthey smile they are a blob. An adorable blob and all yours and the emotions you feel are amazing, but once you get that smile that you *know* is a smile, it's great. It is fun marvelling over their expressions, and talking about poo and poo stories. IT is the most exciting topic, eg "it went everywere, all over his back, out his legs, and then he put his hand in it". Tip, don't expect everyone else to be as excited about your babies poo stories.
The first 6-10weeks are the toughest as you sort out being amum, what your baby wants and breastfeeding, if you choose to.
I also found in hte beginning I stressed about doing the "wrong" thing. I introduced a dummy and felt so much guilt. Just go with whatever works, you can't break them or harm them by doing something that works for you and your family.
As long as you love your baby you can't go wrong. Don't worry if you don't get that overwhelming rush at first either, it will come.
Welcome to the mother club and enjoy the ride. It is the greatest thrill of your life.
The good stuff:
- newborn babies smell really cool. Take a big deep sniff of their head's and inhale all those yummy pheromones. That's what they're there for.
- it will be the only time in their lives that you can put them somewhere and they'll still be there when you come back.
- it's also a time when they'll happily sleep on you for hours, and hours.
- they aren't too busy running amok to cuddle.
- when their eyes first start to focus and they look at this big, previously fuzzy thing that is your face, and you can tell that they think it's the best thing in the world.
- did I mention the smell? It's like a drug.
Making it easier:
- do what feels right NOW. Don't worry about creating bad habits if you use a dummy or carry them to sleep or whatever it is that you are doing. The goalposts change so often that it really doesn't matter.
- enjoy each phase as it comes. There's something good (and not so good) about every stage of their lives, don't wish their lives away by thinking, 'oh, I can't wait until they are over this'. Just enjoy the good bits.
I just had #4, and haven't touched the vacuum cleaner for 9 weeks! Ok, so we have tiled floors, but a quick sweep has been easier than a vacuum! The dishes piled up for about a week, same with the dirty laundry! But I love sitting there with my baby (and my other kids of course, but they are a little more independent now! ) Their first smile just melts your heart! And like others have said, they really do only have eyes for you!
Something I was told during my pregnancy with #1 was listen to the advice, take what you want/need out of it and disregard the rest. Stop reading, enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy your little bundle when s/he comes along (they grow so quickly!)
Oh when they just stare into your eyes it is so special too, especially when feeding - bottle or boob. They just know that they are getting good stuff and you love them.
I just get all warm and mooshy thinking about my DS and how he looks at me.
You will also lose the ability to talk like a normal person to them. Everything will be in a happy tone. I catch myself sometimes and think "what the", but DS loves it and I don't care. everyone does it, except my 24yo BIL
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get them to do the housework, you need to rest
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