Hellobee Boards Topic: What are the first few weeks like?

Hellobee Boards Topic: What are the first few weeks like? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:59:48 +0000 Eko on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-2298908 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 07:00:53 +0000 Eko 2298908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ The hardest part for me was feeding since DS had reflux and I quit breastfeeding. I tried EP since DS had initial weight gain issues and I was too tired to keep up with the pumping scheduling. Then we had to mess around with his formula because of reflux. The day to day got easier once we got into a routine, but the feeding was a constant battle until he was medicated around 2 months old. My recovery was a breeze. We had a lot of visitors right away and that is something I wish I held off for a couple weeks. Or, wish they came to visit in the hospital. It became really overwhelming. Last thing I wish we did was ask my mom to vacuum before we came home from the hospital. There was sooo much cat fur we spent the first couple days picking up our house. One of the best things I did was prepare a few freezer meals in advance. Our stash lasted us the first month and it was so nice not to eat out all the time while spending no time meal prepping. shopaholic on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-2298857 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 01:54:36 +0000 shopaholic 2298857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think my first and second have been quite different! First (DD) - Lots of visitors and ILs came to stay on/off. I had a LOT of adrenaline, wanted to clean/entertain/do something, really hormonal, recovery was harder, BFing was a new/challenge. Exhausted and sleep deprived for sure, but I loved the NB stage. Very paranoid when LO was sleeping - I could never rest easy, always wanted to check her breathing, etc. Second (DS - 2 weeks today) - Not as many visitors, no one stayed with us to help. Umm... not much adrenaline to clean, so far very little hormonal swings, easy recovery. We've been going out at least once a day to do something to keep DD active. BFing is easier because it's been done before. Exhausted/sleep deprived in a different way - up all night with a newborn who wants to cluster feed & be held, while up all day with an active toddler. I think I've had 2 naps in 2 weeks. BSB on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-2298847 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:46:07 +0000 BSB 2298847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Bumping this old post because it's good reading through everyone's responses. So far, 3 days after the babies have left the nicu, we are doing ok. Two days before they came home I was quite emotional, frustrated and stressed at the thought of bringing both of them home and how we were going to do this long term. I didn't have many pregnancy mood swings so I take this as a postpartum twin reality mood swing. Only 3 days in, but we are doing okay. Tired. Definitely stressful when both babies are crying and either DH or I are busy. I grateful that we had time in the Nicu (not the actual NICU part) but having help from the nurses. That helped us be a bit more okay with thinking we were doing things right. As for breastfeeding, the nicu dr and the pediatrician want me to BF, pump BM and add fortifiers and supplement with formula. Yesterday, I started BF during the day but noticed that they weren't staying asleep as long as pumped BM with fortifiers or formula. Ped said the babies aren't probably efficient with getting milk out yet. I have tried tandem BFing but it only works if I have help from the DH. It's definitely nice having them both fed at once. I know a few days ago, I mentioned how I love seeing the babies enjoy BFing but it's not filling them and I'm leaning towards putting my effort into pumping and using formula. I do want them to get BM but my supply is still just okay. A nurse said that it my low supply might be because I did IVF. Anyway, maybe I'll try fenugreek soon. Well, that's my update 3 days in. Let's see how the rest of this month goes. JoyfulKiwi on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-430415 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:09:16 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 430415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @septemberlove: the first weeks aren't something you can prepare for really. It's like labor : there's a general sense of how it's supposed to go & you can study all the variables, but in the end things you don't expect just happen. I cried at the same time every night for about a week; always for a different reason (nervous, annoyed, overwhelmed with love). It was intense. My parents came for the 10 days & I'm forever grateful. They cooked, cleaned, did housework, and stayed up all night one night so DH & I could get some sleep. Advice? Accept the help! It took my mom two days to convince me to let them do that night shift. Also, share your feelings with DH. We argued several times those first few weeks - I was in an emotional twizzle but DH didn't know it. Now I'm trying to share more & DH has a better idea of what I'm feeling so he can support me. Also, it's great! Some parts suck (literally being something to suck on, the endless Groundhog Day experience of he newborn cycle) but LO makes it worth it somehow. In retrospect of course :) skibobrown on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-430355 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:51:36 +0000 skibobrown 430355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ The first few weeks I felt like I was living off of adrenaline. I was exhausted, terrified, and stressed out, but I didn't entirely realize it at the time. Everything hit me at around 6 weeks once all of our help disappeared and went home, and DH was back at work. The very hardest part, that I didn't really understand going into it, was that just feeding took 8-12 hours out of each day. I had supply issues, so I was constantly nursing, pumping, preparing formula, or washing bottles and pump parts. By the time I finally lay down for a nap, I had to get up again to feed the baby and start the entire cycle again. It was monotonous and exhausting. On top of all of that, I was still trying to get some work done and keep the house organized. If I could do it all again, I would hire a whole bunch of help on housework, leave my vacation auto-reply up on my work email, and just lay in bed all day to nurse and bond with my baby. Also, the next time around I'll probably be more relaxed about child rearing, since I now know a whole bunch more about newborns. I absolutely adore my baby, and I love being a mom now, but those early weeks were the very hardest weeks of my entire life. The good thing is... it does get better. Mrs. Confetti on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-430351 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:47:30 +0000 Mrs. Confetti 430351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Oy, the first weeks were hard, but we survived. The adrenaline was what no one told me about - I felt totally high on adrenaline for days and everyone kept yelling at me to nap and it was horribly annoying. My mom came and was wonderful. Total hormone crash about 7 days after birth, and then I cried a lot for days, with no real explanation of why. Breastfeeding was a three week extremely painful learning curve, and the pain finally went away a couple months in. One think I lucked out with was not really feeling too anxious about taking care of the baby, despite a profound lack of experience with babies. I just kept reminding myself that people with far less education and resources have been raising babies for centuries, and babies are more resilient then we give them credit for. autumn865 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-430336 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:35:55 +0000 autumn865 430336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ In the last months if pregnancy I tried to prepare as you said by getting extra sleep, seeing friends, and making frozen dinners. Looking back those first few weeks went so quick but in the moment they felt like forever. I too had a pretty bad case of the baby blues (or more? I don't know) and only now at 14 weeks I am starting to feel normal and myself again. I remember crying at least once a day and it is isolating to have a baby literally attached to you for most of the day (we had to s of breastfeeding issues and I was really self conscious about feeding in front of others besides DH). By about week 3 the adrenaline was gone and I was starting to feel like a shut in. As a first time mom i was and a lot of times still am so crippled wifh anxiety and self doubt about whether or not I'm good or totally failing af this mother thing. But with all the difficulties I hope I will never forget the million wonderful things like the way her warm little body felt sleeping on me or the peaceful silence and the intimate love at 4am when she's calmly sleepy feeding. Every day I feel more and more like I'm settling into my "new normal" and I love her and love being a mom. My only advice is to be open and honest with others especially your DH and to accept help when it is offered. Also block out anyone who makes you doubt yourself and ignore those who say their babies "are sleeping through the night already!" Or older women who say "enjoy every moment" because as nice a lot of moments are the bottom line is those first few weeks are really hard and its ok not to enjoy EVERY moment :) Springtime on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-430246 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:42:00 +0000 Springtime 430246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No matter how much sleep you get before, it does not rollover. You will be tired no matter what! But I would definitely enjoy it while you can. mrsjyw on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418419 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:01:32 +0000 mrsjyw 418419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Im just wrapping up my first week and I think it gets easier each day. You learn as you go. The hardet part for me was episiotomy pain the first few days coupled with adjustment to figuring out babys schedule. Then a day of engorged breasts. I can honestly say that now the hardest thing is the sleep cycles but we're down to a 2-4 hour routine that is pretty manageable. My mom has been here. All wknd last wknd and this wk she's been here after work and overnight. So dh and I get our metime breaks at night... a bath for me... workout for him... sera_87 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418409 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 02:29:00 +0000 sera_87 418409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I felt like a damn milk machine. Constantly nursing. I was getting enough sleep because I would sleep with the baby but in 2 hour stretches which was an adjustment. I had DH for the first week and then my mom for 3 days after that, which was a huge help. It got better once we started bed sharing & I side nursed at night. I never felt super hormonal nor did I cry/feel like crying. sorrycharlie on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418369 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:48:53 +0000 sorrycharlie 418369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ To be honest, I loved the first weeks. I love her stage now but I miss that to death! No one came and stayed with us, my husband had a week off of work. I was in pain but manageable with my pain meds (Tylenol w/codeine for a few days and then just Motrin!). I have been around babies my entire life, though, and a ft nanny the past 4 years (started when their oldest was 7 weeks, and had their youngest from her first day home from the hospital). I don't know if that made me more confident. I also have an extremely happy, easy baby. Definitely hormonal - cried at the drop of a hat! But, breastfeeding only now got easier at 8 weeks. I had a flat nipple, cracked and bleeding nipples, bad latch (because my flat nipple), over supply and forceful letdown, blocked ducts, mastitis and thrush. During pregnancy, I was leaning toward trying BFing for a week and going with formula (I even bought it and had it in the house). But when LO was born, something came over me and I was determined to make it work. The support of my husband & my LC made a world of difference! Now things are great! Baby Boy Mom on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418157 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:50:00 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 418157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I felt like I was nursing pretty much all the time and was super sleep deprived, but didn't have any of the anxiety that other people describe. It was just a marathon that I had to take one hour at a time. The only thing that was really hard for me was having house guests. I felt like I couldn't be free in my own home. It started getting better once LO started nursing better around 6 weeks. That said, I didn't do any housework those first six weeks, and we lived off of freezer meals that I had made before and take away. Magilnyc on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418142 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:39:32 +0000 Magilnyc 418142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I cried for 3 weeks straight. I fought with DH more than I ever had or have since. I had bloody nipples and didn't produce enough so my little baby kept losing weight so we were back and forth with the Dr to weigh him and the lactation consultants who kept giving me things to take and drink, which never worked. And with all of that, I was the happiest I have ever been in my life. Weird! But awesome! luckypenny on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418140 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:38:36 +0000 luckypenny 418140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It wasn't that bad for me! The first week I had an adverse reaction to my placenta pills (they made me crazy!). After I stopped taking them, I was less anxious and able to enjoy DD. DH was really helpful and I had my Mom come - she stayed at a hotel. I agree that getting outside helped a ton. And mostly DD just slept and ate. plaidpants on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418123 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:33:05 +0000 plaidpants 418123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It varied wildly - it was intense, then boring; I was madly in love with my daughter, then I was convinced I made a huge mistake. There were so many FEELINGS! I think the toughest thing for me was the unpredictability of her needs. I like routine and a newborn generally does not. travelgirl1 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418114 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:26:17 +0000 travelgirl1 418114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @FutureMrsMcK: have you managed to ween him off being held while he sleeps? My three week old is exactly the same! lovehoneybee on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418104 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:15:39 +0000 lovehoneybee 418104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I found it...overwhelming. I was overwhelmed with terror that I would fail at taking care of this tiny little helpless person, overwhelmed with my fierce need to protect him, overwhelmed with how demanding he was, overwhelmed with how completely and utterly I loved adored him from the get-go. I was expecting that I'd be sleep deprived and would be nursing frequently, but LO wanted to nurse all.the.time. I almost never got a break from it. I had thought I'd be able to hand him off to my mom or DH sometimes, but the first few weeks he only ever wanted to be with me. And he wouldn't sleep unless I was holding him. I spent two or three nights dozing in a recliner before I broke down and brought him into bed with us. So our days pretty much consisted of him nursing, dozing off for a few minutes, pooping and peeing, nursing, etc etc. I just sat in our recliner and watched Doctor Who on Netflix, ha. Maysprout on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-418051 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:33:25 +0000 Maysprout 418051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We had a lot of people in and out so it was a bit chaotic. I had to learn to sleep without being nervous. The first couple nights home I was just soooooo tired. I hadn't slept before/during/after labor so I had a lot of catching up to do plus a baby who didnt know her days from nights. It took a bit for me to say OK I'm going to ask for help so I can sleep but I started waking up and handing her off to my mom so me and my husband could regain some sleep. Or my sister held her at night so I could fall asleep knowing she was safe. It was a terrific time in so many ways - really just falling more and more in love, my husband took a week and a half off so we went on lots of walks and just talked about how awesome baby was. We didn't hesitate to take her out and about so we kinda just jumped right back into life but life with a baby. Weagle on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417982 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:53:27 +0000 Weagle 417982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Our first few weeks weren't terrible. My parents were here for the first week, and I pretty much didn't have to do anything except eat, shower, and feed LO. They did everything for the three of us. My ILs were supposed to be here for the second week, but they were less than helpful, stressed us out, and ended up leaving after 3 days. After that I felt great physically, and we were getting decent sleep at night from the beginning. We had a blast for the rest of DHs paternity leave. The rough part for me came when all visitors had come and gone, DH was back at work, and I was home alone. It was a bit of an adjustment. littlecasita1122 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417964 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:41:53 +0000 littlecasita1122 417964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ The first few weeks were rough just because I felt like a milk machine. I resented my husband because he couldn't help feed and that made me hate breastfeeding even more because I felt so much pressure. I started pumping at 2 weeks so my LO could have a bottle each day and slowly things got better. The most difficult thing for me was re-arranging my schedule around his. Every time we left the house, it had to be in a 2 hour timeframe or else I'd have to breastfeed in public and I was never comfortable doing that. Once we got to 6 weeks, things got much better. I actually was glad my mom and MIL never came to stay with us. They came up on weekends for the day but other than that we didn't have much help. I felt too much pressure with visitors coming all the time. I remember wishing I could just take a nap but I felt like I had to entertain. travelgirl1 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417963 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:41:37 +0000 travelgirl1 417963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My daughter is three weeks old and so far it's been incredibly beautiful but tiring. Breastfeeding has been hard and as a first timer mum I'm always anxious about new things buy I absolutely adore her, even though I'm shattered. The new num teariness is crazy though... If I ever feel guilty about anything, it's full on waterworks. mrsjazz on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417958 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:38:37 +0000 mrsjazz 417958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It was really hard both physically and emotionally. I was recovering from a C-section and was emotionally drained from not being able to move around and do everything that I wanted to do for LO. I didn't mind being sleep deprived but breastfeeding in the beginning was hard. I would have asked DH to request more time off--he went back to work a couple of days after we were discharged from the hospital. My mom was there for a week but it was a bit much for me to have her there constantly telling me what to do and with me being so emotional. I needed DH. Or I would have saved money to have more postpartum doula sessions. My doula came over 3x afterwards and made me lunch and took the baby so I could shower and helped with breastfeeding--all without judging or acting as if she knew everything there is to know about babies. regberadaisy on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417951 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:29:43 +0000 regberadaisy 417951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ An emotional roller coaster. I thought crying was bad during pregnancy. Post it was worse! I could cry at the drop of a hat. Didn't help that we had feeding issues including a late night ER trip. I was so sleep deprived, so tired, so worried all the time but oh so in love as well. Despite it all it was all so magical. If I could change something it would have been to not listen to that LC nazi at our hospital and just listen to my own instincts and fed M a bottle of formula from the beginning. You never know, you can luck out and have a easy baby that sleeps, eats & poops. Mine barely took naps even as a newborn. So there was not a lot of rest for mommy & daddy. Thank god my mom was here for almost 3 months. Biggest life saver ever. She did laundry, cooked, washed bottles, helped take care of LO. In those first few weeks when your husband oes back to work it's so helpful to have someone to hand lO off to when you need a breather. SleepyMonkey on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417771 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:42:26 +0000 SleepyMonkey 417771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had a really rough first few weeks too. I had a bad case of the baby blues. I felt overwhelmed and so anxious about taking care of this little creature for the rest of my life. I hated breastfeeding. It was difficult and stressful. I had a hard time adjusting to losing control of my schedule and life. And I didn't feel the bond with my baby until 3+ weeks. I regretted having a baby on most days and the guilt that i felt about that was tremendous. But then things just kind of turn...and now I have this intense love for my baby and love just staring at her and talking to her and breastfeeding is getting easier every day. I still feel anxious about things but I keep telling myself I need to take it one day at a time and not worry too much about the rest of her life at this very moment in time. LO is only 4 weeks old now. So I'm still a newbie but I wish someone had told me that the first few weeks were just so hard in so many different ways. meredithNYC on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417677 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:10:37 +0000 meredithNYC 417677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ To be honest, I'm one of the ones who had a really, really hard time coping. Part of that was my difficulty with breastfeeding (low supply with baby dropping a dangerous amount of weight), which resulted in a baby who screamed most of the day and night. When she wasn't screaming she was eating (hello, sore nips!) and very rarely sleeping. I'm sorry - I don't want to make it sound like it was all miserable since I know that isn't helpful when you're already nervous about how things will go. For what it's worth, if I could do it again I would have my mom with me for a month, at least. I know others hate having their mom or MIL around, but I loved having both. My mom only planned on staying for a week, but she extended her trip for another week. Then I had two weeks alone before MIL arrived. MIL was awesome and saved my sanity! So, so grateful still for her help. prettylizy on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417668 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:06:25 +0000 prettylizy 417668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ A wild ride is how I describe it. There's tons of adrenaline and then you crash when that fades and you're exhausted... but you're never too exhausted for that little face. The hormones come and go, sometimes you just cry and you don't know why, but then a little squeek comes out of that tiny bundle of blankets and you melt into a million pieces. No matter how much you try to get ready, you'll never be ready because there is no way to understand it until you're there. Just remember that we all get through it, and you get the amazing prize of having a beautiful baby all of your own. yoursilverlining on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417637 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:56:34 +0000 yoursilverlining 417637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It was a combination of scary and boring for us. Scary because you suddenly have this teeny little person who is totally dependent on you for everything and who can’t communicate their needs very well with you. Boring because you’re so tired it’s hard to get the motivation to do a lot of stuff; but there also isn’t a ton of interactive things to do with a newborn. I found it stressful to have mothers/MIL stay in the house because it’s sort of like you are on display. It’s also scary to try to put little outfits over those wobbly heads and necks, and hard because newborns can have issues with the most basic functions like eating, sleeping, digestion, etc. You just don’t know what you will run into so there isn’t really any way to prepare. I do definitely agree that the first few weeks are tough. It's a total life adjustment. Lone Palm on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417627 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:52:11 +0000 Lone Palm 417627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm really curious about this too! thanks for posting! hilsy85 on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417615 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:49:14 +0000 hilsy85 417615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Honestly, kind of boring! LO slept a lot and I was unable to nap during the day (I've always been a bad napper) so I watched a lot of tv the first few weeks. It was difficult to get motivated to do cleaning or cooking so it's good that you'll have help. Breastfeeding was also reallyz challenging for me, and still is at. 6 weeks, so be prepared for that to take a while each nursing session. The biggest thing for me was to get out of the house with Lo for some time every day. It helped me feel more confident and have some structure to my day. banana on "What are the first few weeks like?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-are-the-first-few-weeks-like#post-417533 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:27:38 +0000 banana 417533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ With my son, I was really nervous because he was my first child. So the first few weeks were hectic for me. He had reflux and was constantly uncomfortable so I was a nervous wreck. The sleep deprivation was pretty bad, but I got used to it after a while. Once you develop a routine, it gets easier! With my daughter, the first few weeks was not bad at all! She was a pretty happy baby so it made things much easier. If I had to do it all over again, I would've stressed out less and tried to enjoy the moments more. And take more pictures and videos! I say that now in hindsight though. There's no way I would've been able to enjoy the moment back then because I was a nervous first-time mom. Sounds like you're expectations are very reasonable so I'm sure you'll handle your first few weeks just fine!