Good things about the newborn stage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg everything.

You lay in bed, skin to skin, with this precious squishy on your chest and a blanket over you. Watch shows. Cry with happiness.

Their smell.

The tiny bird legs.

Baby yawns.

Baby sneezes.

All of these. With my Fall babies (first and second), I also really loved putting them in the carrier and going for long walks. I had an oversized fleece jacket I would zip over myself and the baby, and off we’d go. I run too hot to have done that with my third, born in May, but we still went on lots of walks in the stroller. The newborn days are so unique and precious.

FWIW, it really does vary; my babies were not colicky and I did not have difficult recoveries, but please don’t let anecdotes scare you. I think it’s such a lousy thing to worry a soon-to-be FTM because you can’t exercise some impulse control. My BIL did that with me and I still remember it. It’s unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can make lots of excuses to sit on the couch and read, watch tv, etc., withe the excuse that you’re feeding/holding the baby. I binge-watched multiple tv series during my maternity leaves while nursing, and once I figured out how to prop up my kindle so I could read books while holding my babies, read more books for pleasure during those months than at any time before or since.

I read the entire Game of Thrones series while nursing my second. She loved nursing, I loved reading and snuggling my baby. We would sit for hours. “Nope, sorry, baby is still eating! Can’t get up now!” Four hours later...

I watched the entire Game of Thrones series when DD was a newborn. Later they start paying attention when you turn on the TV so Game of Thrones is a no-go.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE newborns. I wish I could always have a newborn in the house. They're so little! So portable! So easy to meet their needs! You can just feed them and watch tv and kiss them and they're happy. Unlike toddlers, who are the opposite of that.

[Anonymous]

The best part of the newborn stage is that babies sleep around 16-18 hours a day. They are literally only awake for short periods of time. Of course, that will coincide with times that you want to be sleeping. Remind yourself that they can't crawl, walk, get into things, hurt themselves, or talk back. When you get to a different stage, you will look back and think the newborn stage was easy even if you won't think it at the time.

The hardest part of the newborn stage is waking up to feed them every 3 hours. Sleep deprivation plays tricks with your mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it depends. DOn't let anecdotal stories eat at you.

Personally, I'm sorta a low-key, no-fuss type of a person so I can function on little/broken-up sleep and didn't sweat the small stuff (sorta followed all my kids' cues and used common sense), and learn a few life-hacks along the way.

My pregnancies were all textbook and uneventful so the lochia/recovery/soreness was relatively short (never needed a sitz bath, for example) so easy recovery and I didn't really sit around and feel sorry for myself.

I also kept to my normal routine as much as I could - my daily walks, my weekly phone calls with my mom, Pizza Night on Fridays with DH (and subsequent kids as our family expanded), etc.

Lol I love these moms who think that they handled the newborn stage well because of their laid back personality and their ability to function on little sleep. That’s how I was with my first. My second refused to feed and was screaming 24/7 and colicky. Turned out she needed surgery at 2.5 months for a defect that made it difficult for her to swallow. She also had really bad acid reflux which only stopped after we put her on the maximum dose of prilosec. My third had very severe acid reflux. Maximum dose of Zantac didn’t work. Neither did the maximum dose of Prilosec. In fact she needed both medications together. Both were crying basically all day and night but things got much better at 4.5 months.

OP it’s your luck of the draw with what baby you get! But the good news is that it passes by so quickly and things tend to improve with each passing month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it depends. DOn't let anecdotal stories eat at you.

Personally, I'm sorta a low-key, no-fuss type of a person so I can function on little/broken-up sleep and didn't sweat the small stuff (sorta followed all my kids' cues and used common sense), and learn a few life-hacks along the way.

My pregnancies were all textbook and uneventful so the lochia/recovery/soreness was relatively short (never needed a sitz bath, for example) so easy recovery and I didn't really sit around and feel sorry for myself.

I also kept to my normal routine as much as I could - my daily walks, my weekly phone calls with my mom, Pizza Night on Fridays with DH (and subsequent kids as our family expanded), etc.

Lol I love these moms who think that they handled the newborn stage well because of their laid back personality and their ability to function on little sleep. That’s how I was with my first. My second refused to feed and was screaming 24/7 and colicky. Turned out she needed surgery at 2.5 months for a defect that made it difficult for her to swallow. She also had really bad acid reflux which only stopped after we put her on the maximum dose of prilosec. My third had very severe acid reflux. Maximum dose of Zantac didn’t work. Neither did the maximum dose of Prilosec. In fact she needed both medications together. Both were crying basically all day and night but things got much better at 4.5 months.

OP it’s your luck of the draw with what baby you get! But the good news is that it passes by so quickly and things tend to improve with each passing month.

Also I suggest reading more about sleep and calming techniques now when you have the time. Really like the happiest baby on the block (watch the dvd) and the happiest baby guide to good sleep by Dr Karp. Also really like The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight by Dr Kim West. All three books were invaluable for my two difficult newborns and my one relatively easy newborn. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The way they smell. The first time they smile at you. The clumped up little heap of baby that will sleep on your chest. Their portability- they'll sleep anywhere.

Except their cribs.

Hahahaha yep!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can make lots of excuses to sit on the couch and read, watch tv, etc., withe the excuse that you’re feeding/holding the baby. I binge-watched multiple tv series during my maternity leaves while nursing, and once I figured out how to prop up my kindle so I could read books while holding my babies, read more books for pleasure during those months than at any time before or since.

I read the entire Game of Thrones series while nursing my second. She loved nursing, I loved reading and snuggling my baby. We would sit for hours. “Nope, sorry, baby is still eating! Can’t get up now!” Four hours later...

Sort of related: it got me out of a lot of interaction with in-laws. All of a sudden, I had an excuse to go sit in another room and feed the baby! Or go up to bed early with the baby instead of sitting up til midnight watching dumb movies! You can always duck out of an uncomfortable situation because "the baby needs something."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it depends. DOn't let anecdotal stories eat at you.

Personally, I'm sorta a low-key, no-fuss type of a person so I can function on little/broken-up sleep and didn't sweat the small stuff (sorta followed all my kids' cues and used common sense), and learn a few life-hacks along the way.

My pregnancies were all textbook and uneventful so the lochia/recovery/soreness was relatively short (never needed a sitz bath, for example) so easy recovery and I didn't really sit around and feel sorry for myself.

I also kept to my normal routine as much as I could - my daily walks, my weekly phone calls with my mom, Pizza Night on Fridays with DH (and subsequent kids as our family expanded), etc.

Lol I love these moms who think that they handled the newborn stage well because of their laid back personality and their ability to function on little sleep. That’s how I was with my first. My second refused to feed and was screaming 24/7 and colicky. Turned out she needed surgery at 2.5 months for a defect that made it difficult for her to swallow. She also had really bad acid reflux which only stopped after we put her on the maximum dose of prilosec. My third had very severe acid reflux. Maximum dose of Zantac didn’t work. Neither did the maximum dose of Prilosec. In fact she needed both medications together. Both were crying basically all day and night but things got much better at 4.5 months.

OP it’s your luck of the draw with what baby you get! But the good news is that it passes by so quickly and things tend to improve with each passing month.

Also I suggest reading more about sleep and calming techniques now when you have the time. Really like the happiest baby on the block (watch the dvd) and the happiest baby guide to good sleep by Dr Karp. Also really like The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight by Dr Kim West. All three books were invaluable for my two difficult newborns and my one relatively easy newborn. Good luck!

Yeah, Dr. Karp is awesome and these books are all great. But, that does not make PP wrong. We read all the books, followed Dr. Karp's five S's, and our kid still would not sleep. Some babies are just like that. We got through it, and the kid sleeps fine now, but mostly because she grew up. Our second kid slept like a champ, so it's not like it was something with our parenting. I don't know if you intended to contradict the poster you responded to (not me), but implying that people with babies with medical problems could have gotten their kid to sleep with more shushing and swaddling is really disrespectful to people who have kids with legitimately challenging sleep problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it depends. DOn't let anecdotal stories eat at you.

Personally, I'm sorta a low-key, no-fuss type of a person so I can function on little/broken-up sleep and didn't sweat the small stuff (sorta followed all my kids' cues and used common sense), and learn a few life-hacks along the way.

My pregnancies were all textbook and uneventful so the lochia/recovery/soreness was relatively short (never needed a sitz bath, for example) so easy recovery and I didn't really sit around and feel sorry for myself.

I also kept to my normal routine as much as I could - my daily walks, my weekly phone calls with my mom, Pizza Night on Fridays with DH (and subsequent kids as our family expanded), etc.

Lol I love these moms who think that they handled the newborn stage well because of their laid back personality and their ability to function on little sleep. That’s how I was with my first. My second refused to feed and was screaming 24/7 and colicky. Turned out she needed surgery at 2.5 months for a defect that made it difficult for her to swallow. She also had really bad acid reflux which only stopped after we put her on the maximum dose of prilosec. My third had very severe acid reflux. Maximum dose of Zantac didn’t work. Neither did the maximum dose of Prilosec. In fact she needed both medications together. Both were crying basically all day and night but things got much better at 4.5 months.

OP it’s your luck of the draw with what baby you get! But the good news is that it passes by so quickly and things tend to improve with each passing month.

Also I suggest reading more about sleep and calming techniques now when you have the time. Really like the happiest baby on the block (watch the dvd) and the happiest baby guide to good sleep by Dr Karp. Also really like The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight by Dr Kim West. All three books were invaluable for my two difficult newborns and my one relatively easy newborn. Good luck!

Yeah, Dr. Karp is awesome and these books are all great. But, that does not make PP wrong. We read all the books, followed Dr. Karp's five S's, and our kid still would not sleep. Some babies are just like that. We got through it, and the kid sleeps fine now, but mostly because she grew up. Our second kid slept like a champ, so it's not like it was something with our parenting. I don't know if you intended to contradict the poster you responded to (not me), but implying that people with babies with medical problems could have gotten their kid to sleep with more shushing and swaddling is really disrespectful to people who have kids with legitimately challenging sleep problems.

Oh, and to the OP, hopefully you will love the newborn stage and your kid will sleep like my second did. But, if not, the PP who said the best part is that the newborn stage passes quickly is not wrong. My mantra was "it gets better," and it does. Congrats and good luck!

[Anonymous]

I LOVED the newborn stage! Yes, nursing can be difficult, you’re still bleeding, you’re exhausted and getting the hang of everything but newborn snuggles, their portability, their ever changing looks and personalities are priceless.

[Anonymous]

They don’t move. My 1 year old is such a busy body and sometimes I just want him to let me hold him and snuggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it depends. DOn't let anecdotal stories eat at you.

Personally, I'm sorta a low-key, no-fuss type of a person so I can function on little/broken-up sleep and didn't sweat the small stuff (sorta followed all my kids' cues and used common sense), and learn a few life-hacks along the way.

My pregnancies were all textbook and uneventful so the lochia/recovery/soreness was relatively short (never needed a sitz bath, for example) so easy recovery and I didn't really sit around and feel sorry for myself.

I also kept to my normal routine as much as I could - my daily walks, my weekly phone calls with my mom, Pizza Night on Fridays with DH (and subsequent kids as our family expanded), etc.

Lol I love these moms who think that they handled the newborn stage well because of their laid back personality and their ability to function on little sleep. That’s how I was with my first. My second refused to feed and was screaming 24/7 and colicky. Turned out she needed surgery at 2.5 months for a defect that made it difficult for her to swallow. She also had really bad acid reflux which only stopped after we put her on the maximum dose of prilosec. My third had very severe acid reflux. Maximum dose of Zantac didn’t work. Neither did the maximum dose of Prilosec. In fact she needed both medications together. Both were crying basically all day and night but things got much better at 4.5 months.

OP it’s your luck of the draw with what baby you get! But the good news is that it passes by so quickly and things tend to improve with each passing month.

Also I suggest reading more about sleep and calming techniques now when you have the time. Really like the happiest baby on the block (watch the dvd) and the happiest baby guide to good sleep by Dr Karp. Also really like The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight by Dr Kim West. All three books were invaluable for my two difficult newborns and my one relatively easy newborn. Good luck!

Yeah, Dr. Karp is awesome and these books are all great. But, that does not make PP wrong. We read all the books, followed Dr. Karp's five S's, and our kid still would not sleep. Some babies are just like that. We got through it, and the kid sleeps fine now, but mostly because she grew up. Our second kid slept like a champ, so it's not like it was something with our parenting. I don't know if you intended to contradict the poster you responded to (not me), but implying that people with babies with medical problems could have gotten their kid to sleep with more shushing and swaddling is really disrespectful to people who have kids with legitimately challenging sleep problems.

I think you misunderstood. I’m the PP who recommended Dr Karp and I’m also the PP with the two babies with medical problems. I was replying to myself Both books helped me with my kids but they still were screaming all the time. Dr Karl’s techniques helped a lot which is why I recommended him but the screaming didn’t stop with my first until a month after the surgery and then with my second at 5 months when we got the dosage of the reflux medication correct. I did use the Sleep Lady’s book for sleep training after all three of my kids turned 6 months. But with the youngest two I took maybe a month or even a month and a half instead of the two weeks she suggests because of the medical issues. I was able to sleep train. But with my second the medical issues didn’t actually go away until she was maybe 11 months. They had nothing to do with sleep though. There are times she looked like she was choking and she had a condition called tracheomalacia which made her breathing sound really raspy. First condition she had was called larygomalacia. Most kids grow out of it but hers was extreme that she needed surgery. Her surgeon said he’d never seen larygomalacia this extreme I started tearing up now thinking about it It was such a difficult time!