First few weeks with Baby

[pennysmom]

Its been 2 weeks since I brought home baby and lets just say that I'm exhausted! Could you fellow moms share your experience in the first few weeks with baby? I'm just curious to see how my experience compares to others and wondering if there is light at the end of the tunnel!

[BabyBearsMom]

Congratulations!!! I can barely remember the first two weeks at this point, not because it was so long ago (DD is 17 weeks) but because I was so sleep deprived! I remember just staring at DD all the time and thinking about how beautiful she was and how shocked I was that I had made her. I remember feeding her constantly (I felt like the family cow). She was a long nurser (nursed for about an hour), so it was 1 hour on, 1 hour off. This also meant that I only slept an hour at a time. I remember thanking my mother profusely for staying with me because I was afraid to do it alone. The good news is, that as amazing as it is to have a new baby, it just keeps getting better. I know that people told me that and I thought "what could be better than this perfect little creature" but every day just gets more fun and exciting with her. So good luck to you, and know that the sleepless nights will be over before you know it.

As a side note, I absolutely LOVE the name Penny. Is it short for Penelope?

[mmsmom]

There is a light! It does get much, much easier. You are in a big adjustment phase right now & it takes a while to figure everything out. All you need to do is take care of yourself & the baby (and other DC if you have them). Besides that, forget about everything else (cooking, cleaning, etc.) Ask for help for that stuff if you can or just don't do it :) Enjoy this phase because it does go by so quickly. I promise you will sleep again someday!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

There is a light! It does get much, much easier. You are in a big adjustment phase right now & it takes a while to figure everything out. All you need to do is take care of yourself & the baby (and other DC if you have them). Besides that, forget about everything else (cooking, cleaning, etc.) Ask for help for that stuff if you can or just don't do it :) Enjoy this phase because it does go by so quickly. I promise you will sleep again someday!

:yeahthat:

yeah, i felt the same way. one word to describe it : overwhelmed. we had lots of help in the first 4 weeks, but still, it was overwhelming adjusting to life with a newborn. however, as others said, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel! :)

[Jenny_A]

I had a hard adjustment with my daughter. What you are experiencing is completely normal! It will get better and easier!! The best advice is to let go of things and lower your expectations. Consider it a great day if you get a shower! Just focus on taking care of your newborn and sleep when they sleep. Again, it does get better. At 3 months you'll see a difference and then it should get much easier by 6 months.

[MamaKath]

Congratulations!!!!Hang in there!!!! Sleep when the baby sleeps, it helps a ton!!!

Our first few weeks?!?! It went fast, that is for sure. We moved the day dc1 was born to a house that was almost but not quite ready (like dh was still finishing the plumbing in the ONLY bathroom). When he finally made it back to the hospital after she was born, it was to pick me up for the closing on the home we were moving out of. In those first 2 weeks- he had to work during the day and then finish things like the plumbing at night; I managed to flood the new bathroom by leaving water running because I was so tired; I spent most of it sitting and nursing around the clock. Oh except for my mom's graduation when I had to hall myself, dh, the newborn and all the gear to a college an hour away in an outfit that didn't fit right and got leaked all over, lol! Three week growth spurt kicked in, we nursed 17 hours straight and then suddenly it started getting better. Things started getting a little more routine and just seemed brighter and more enjoyable.

[citymama]

Congratulations on the new baby - and on making it to two weeks. As the mom of a just turned 3 month old I can assure you: it DOES get easier. The first month is undoubtedly the hardest, with post-partum recovery, lack of sleep, housework piling up, figuring out your balance with your partner, etc etc. Once they hit about 2 months they start sleeping longer and longer stretches - my DD now reliably sleeps 7 or 8 hours a night, which is just bliss! Try and get help from family or friends with cooking, laundry etc, so you have time to rest up and enjoy your baby. Is your partner on parental leave? And what they say is absolutely true: at least for the first month, try and sleep when the baby sleeps. I didn't do it with our first kid, but I did the second time and I think I was so much better equipped to cope with the chaos.

All the best and welcome to the boards!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't remember them. :)

There were little lights along the way but when baby started to smile was the biggest turning point for me. It felt good to be acknowledged. Also, after the 6w growth spurt things really settled down (for a while) on the feeding thing.

I had a lot of help after ds1 but I also liked it when it was just the 2 of us and dh was at work. A bit lonely but we had a routine and I found good things to enjoy with him.

2w pp...a big haze! Congratulations!!!!!!

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

btw, be sure and get pics of you and baby now! You might not be looking your best or anything but you'll cherish those in the future. Baby will never be this little again.

Beth

[lizzywednesday]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Mostly, I was sleep-deprived (from waking up every 2 hours to pump) and weaning myself off the heavy-duty pain meds before our DD came home ... and I actually ended up clogging our powder room toilet after the laxatives kicked in but that's probably TMI.

After DD was discharged, I did my best to stay fed and hydrated, but that wasn't easy because DD wanted to be held all.the.time and I wasn't willing to let her cry longer than a minute (for reasons other than being a nervous new mom) ... and my DH was sick-sick-sick so he wouldn't come within 2 feet of us!

I followed the wonderful advice of all the moms here (and a lot of my friends IRL) to sleep whenever my DD slept, which sometimes meant sleeping in.

A day that I showered was a good day.
A day that I showered AND brushed my teeth was a better day.
A day that I showered, brushed my teeth, washed my hair AND shaved was an EXCELLENT day. (Sometimes, even though DD is 5 months old, it's still like this.)

I made it a point to always get dressed and to put a new outfit on DD every day. This may sound silly, but it helped me establish a routine with her rather than giving in to my impulse to stay in bed all day. And I think it helped me feel recovered faster.

I also tried to take a walk with her daily, but that was difficult because it was still winter/early spring, so the weather was either lousy or cold.

When I was cleared to drive, I started taking DD out to the grocery store or Target in a wrap carrier just to get out of the house. (And to pick up stuff like diapers, wipes, butt cream, etc.)

You're not alone and it does get better!

[HonoluluMom]

Congratulations!

DD's first few weeks were difficult. She had jaundice, doctor's appointments every day and then every few days, and home phototherapy. Because she was hooked up to the equipment, I had to monitor her throughout the day and night. She also nursed every few hours and I swear, I changed about 15-20 diapers a day. It was very tiring, but I loved every moment. The newness of everything (first time mom) and her cuddly and soft body made every moment worth it.

It will get better! Hang in there and enjoy every moment.

[doberbrat]

I made it a point to always get dressed and to put a new outfit on DD every day. This may sound silly, but it helped me establish a routine with her rather than giving in to my impulse to stay in bed all day. And I think it helped me feel recovered faster.

I agree with most of the above, but wanted to point out that I think moms SHOULD give into their impulse to stay in bed all day for awhile. its good bonding, its good resting, and you'll never have those first few weeks w/a snuggly baby to sit and wallow in bed. even if you have dc2, by then you'll be too busy b/c you'll have an older child. so turn off the computer, let the laundry & dishes pile up and have a good snuggle.

eta as far as our first weeks, they were pretty stressful. baby dc, then readmitted for jaundice, 3 more days in the hospital..... lots and lots and lots of follow up visits.

but people are right, by 12 wks, things usually start to get dramatically better

[JenChem]

I don't really remember the first 2 weeks... but I think they involved getting up every morning, rolling the pnp (we called it the command center) to the living room, and then nursing DS all day. I think I might still be able to make out the dent I left in the couch. The highlight of my day was when Scott would get home from work and I could shower and maybe even dry my hair **BLISS**. Putting on real clothes was also a bonus.

My 4 year wedding anniversary was at the end of week 1. I only know this because DH and I were waiting for a Dr.'s appointment when he remembered to say Happy Anniversary. I totally forgot about it.

I wish I had stayed in bed all day and cuddled DS and took lots of pictures. Also I couldn't sleep when he napped because I tried to clean hahaha. In retrospect nobody cared and I should have enjoyed it more.

[PGTB]

The 1st few weeks for me was pure hell, we had trouble breastfeeding, switched formula, had constipation, diarrhea, all sorts of discomforts. I was still recovering from birth and had to sit on a doughnut the first week and couldn't bend my back. Nursing didn't work, pumping didn't work. My nipples were bloody and torn (they are still deformed where he took a chunk out), I cried all the time every single day for 2 weeks. I guess I had baby blues, but was fortunate i didn't develop postpartum depression even though our BF difficulties lasted for a while. Not only I didn't have time to brush my teeth or take a shower, I had no time to eat or go to the bathroom sometimes, I was alone for a few days during the 1st 3 weeks and DH was working out of home full time. I had to wait till he comes home to eat a full meal, and take care of my hygiene. I also didn't sleep at all during the day, DS was pretty fussy and cried. I was thankful when MIL or my mother were there, but they couldn't stay long, so I was by myself most of the time during early weeks. Going outside by myself was a challenge, I was afraid to be caught with a crying baby outside, but we still took him around quite a bit when DH was with me.

Hang in there! It will get better. DS is now exclusively BF and I am at work full time. He still doesn't sleep through the night at over 3 months old... sigh... oh well, I hope things get better.

my advice to you: take it one day at a time. don't do much planning and don't obsess when things don't get done.

I know it sucks that at first I was counting the days waiting for DS to outgrow all the pains and discomforts, I don't know if I enjoyed his newborn stage as much unfortunately. But it's not unusual as I found out, that's why I guess people end up having a second kid - to enjoy the newborn stage again when they know what to do and what to expect ;)

[PGTB]

.

I wish I had stayed in bed all day and cuddled DS and took lots of pictures. Also I couldn't sleep when he napped because I tried to clean hahaha. In retrospect nobody cared and I should have enjoyed it more.

same here! I wish I enjoyed it more and took lots of pictures and video. I think we did take quite a few pics in those early days, but had no time to get video, I regret it now.

[Uno-Mom]

Enjoy the newborn cuddly stage - I miss it! And the way their face cycles through all kinds of crazy expressions. :) I'd never been around newborns before, so was fascinated by all those amazing behaviors.

Honestly, I spent a lot of time crashed out on the couch watching episodes of X-files and Bones while DD napped...then nursed...then napped...then nursed...

Last night I noticed something in my nightstand drawer - the sheet of paper where my husband and I wrote down the times DD changed and nursed during those first few days. We kept track mostly out of curiousity and also because her nursing schedule didn't seem to match the ones described in all the books. I think I'll put those scratch papers in a safe place for posterity! (And for a little perspective when/if DC2 comes along!)

Nap while baby sleeps - not I. Everybody said this, but I enjoyed doing some normal everyday kind of things when I got the chance. But DD was a good nighttime sleeper pretty early.

[peanut520]

Congrats! you are doing better than me since you have the strength to post here! :ROTFLMAO: i was a walking zombie.

[brgnmom]

Congratulations! you know, I really can't remember specifics about the first few weeks, except that I was sleep-deprived from nursing so often. I have to look at all the digital pics my DH and mom took of my DS in order to remember specific moments.

Enjoy these precious newborn moments. They go by so quickly - I still can't believe that my DS just turned 4 years old. I'm definitely planning on embracing those first moments with our second baby who will be born in a couple months. Definitely make the most of daytime naps if you can squeeze any in while your newborn is sleeping. And try to take as many pictures of your newborn so that you can remember all those precious moments years later. :)

[Melaine]

Hey if you are awake and aware enough to compose that post, then you are doing pretty well!

[DrSally]

The first few months are exhausting. Just hang in there, it does get better. Just focus on doing the basics right now.

[edurnemk]

Oh, there is a light, don't worry. I know the first month is really, really hard. For me I'd say at around 5-6 weeks things suddenly started getting easier. DS slept more at night, we finally got most of our BF issues under control, I was more confident about leaving the house with him for more than a short walk (he was born un January in Chicago, so leaving the house was a huge ordeal, in nicer weather I probably would've started taking walks with him much earlier which is helpful, too).

I also started getting over the baby blues around this time, I had a very rough couple of weeks (starting around the time DS was 2-3 weeks). I finally realized I needed to relax my standards a bit, and ask for help when I needed it. My doctor insisted so much that I shouldn't use DS's nap time for housecleaning or other chores, that I should nap, too, but I really wanted to make the most of this time and tried to do everything. I regret it, once I started napping with DS during his long nap of the day I felt way better. I also started going to bed earlier, after DS went to sleep, I'd have a quick dinner with DH and off to bed (DH was in business school so he was up studying anyway).

I also realized there was no way I could shower before 4 pm on most days and being in PJ's all day made me feel worse, so I gave in and started officially showering at night. I liked wearing nice clothes, because looking nice made me feel better, but this was after weeks 5, before that resting is priority. DS wanted to be held all the time, so I resorted to the carrier or sling so I could do some light housework with him. My mom was a lot of help, she visited the first 4 weeks (she lived 3000 miles away) and cooked like crazy, so our freezer was STUFFED and we lived off that for weeks. After that I'd resort to cooking triple quantity and freezing, as well. So I'd only cook 2-3 times a week.

If you can afford a cleaning service, I think it's a great investment for your sanity. And if family or friends can help, dont' think twice about asking, especially with meals. A couple of friends woudl sometimes bring food over, one of them said for her it was the same amount of effort making 2 servings or 4. Which is true.

I have a friend who always makes a point about telling other PG women that the first month is h3ll and not to feel guilty about it, and it does get better. She says no one warned her and she felt so bad, and wished she knew it was normal.

GL! And be sure you'll feel more in control soon. :hug:

[pennysmom]

Thanks for sharing your experiences ladies!!!

I'd read all the books and had so many people tell me how precious sleep would be but I don't think I really realized what it was going to be like. After reading some of the replies, my situation could be worse. Luckily my DH took off the first 2 weeks so we were doing it together. He went back to work this week but my parents came to visit this week so that worked out perfectly! I know things will get better. Right now I'm dealing with an acid reflux baby who has day/night mixed up! It seems as though we have made some progress on both these issues since we came home but still not over these hurdles.

A few of you made a good point, if I was able to post on here, then I'm probably not too bad of a zombie!

[luckytwenty]

Sounds like you are doing great!!! The first two weeks, first child, were an absolute blur. I just remember not eating or sleeping much and feeling kind of incompetent, but it got much much better at around the 6-7 week mark, and at the 3 month mark, I actually began to feel like a human being again. :-)

Second baby was challenging not because of the newborn stuff so much but because I had to make sure the first one was happy and entertained while I was nursing and recovering from a c-section.

But basically--once you get past this part, you can get through anything!!