https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:31:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089100 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 05:53:03 +0000 MsMamaBear 1089100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Becoming a new parent and especially 1 to 5 months of her life. I usually say 3, but going back to work made me add the extra 2 months. You don't get how hard it is until you get in the trenches with your own child. lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089098 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 05:46:44 +0000 JoJoGirl 1089098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>New parenting for sure. The rest was pretty easy for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089080 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 04:29:13 +0000 Bao 1089080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The healing was most difficult for me. It was extremely painful because I tore so much. I couldn't move much for weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089074 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 04:03:07 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1089074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is hard for me to answer because I feel like they were all hard! My pregnancy was difficult, but at the time I was fine with it. My labor was torturous, but my healthy baby canceled it out. BFing was hell, but if I were to do it again, I would know when to quit, and wouldn't allow it to consume me like it did. The NB days were scary difficult, but another baby could be easy peasy.</p> <p>I voted BF, but I realize that I should have voted Parenting, because those NB days were just ... yeh, I'm happy those days are over! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089053 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 02:15:46 +0000 shopaholic 1089053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Labor before epidural! But breast-feeding-related pain was a longer and a close second! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089052 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 02:14:21 +0000 Grace 1089052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I found labour incredibly hard. It was just so much more physically demanding than I thought it would be. I don't find parenting P to be that hard yet, but I do find the change in my life to be really hard. I find it quite isolating, sometimes lonely and I miss my "normal" life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089044 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 02:03:55 +0000 delight 1089044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: I was glad to read your post. BF has been hardest for me. Frick it hurts!! I am 4 weeks pp now and though it still hurts your comments make me feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Come on nips, toughen up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089039 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:57:12 +0000 Espion 1089039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Breast feeding, hands down. Most of my tears in the first four weeks can be solely attributed to finally realizing that my son was crying so hard because I was starving him. :( It took awhile, but we've found our happy place. Thank goodness he switches well between bottle/breast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089036 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:48:43 +0000 loveisstrange 1089036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Becoming a parent/colicky newborn/severe PPD/BFing issues.</p> <p>So... About the first, solid 4 months of her life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089035 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:46:46 +0000 dolphin 1089035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Becoming a new parent for sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1089021 Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:08:57 +0000 lemondrop 1089021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pregnancy was the hardest part for me, the duration of feeling bad was the longest. It had good parts to it, but functioning from day to day was a real challenge.</p> <p>Breastfeeding was next, it was hard and a constant stress for the first 8 weeks, there was no escaping it because it would start over again in a few hours. As a whole, our difficulties were a blessing in disguise because we could do both breast and bottle interchangeably, but at the time it felt like I was constantly on the edge of not making it work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088977 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:30:37 +0000 StbHisMrs 1088977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My pregnancy sucked, labor was quick with both (not with the first though!) recovery was pretty terrible too. None of that compares to having a colicky baby, add in a toddler, a moody 11 year old, and a husband who is either gone all the time or in a crummy mood from getting no sleep. That has hands down been the hardest for me. Then there's every other weekend that we have my step-daughters... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088970 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:20:20 +0000 Running Elley 1088970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the new baby stage breastfeeding was the hardest. I said multiple times that the only thing marring my experience as a new parent was the breastfeeding difficulty. </p> <p>Long term, mommy guilt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088966 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:08:16 +0000 Corduroy 1088966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Becoming a new parents has been hardest for me. It's so humbling. I thought being a mom was going to come naturally to me. I was a really good babysitter in high school, I had a brownie troop in college, I volunteered with babies, I rocked being pregnant. </p> <p>It turns out I am a barely hanging in there, 'what have I gotten myself into', 'please, please take a nap' mom. And I was happy to go back to work. So yeah, becoming the mother I judged before having my baby has been hardest for me. Way harder than 51 hours of labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088959 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 22:59:27 +0000 deerylou 1088959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel I've been relatively lucky. My pregnancy was pretty uneventful, and enjoyable. Despite being induced, my delivery went well. I had terrible spinal headaches for a week after a botched epidural, and that was hell. Once it was (finally!) remedied, my physical recovery was a breeze. DH and I coparent well, and mothering feels pretty natural. Our daughter is happy, mellow, and sleeps well. </p> <p>For whatever reason, I did end up with chronic low supply. I tried everything under the sun, to no avail. It absolutely tore me up, emotionally, but I think I'm finally in an okay place about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088955 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 22:51:11 +0000 Boheme 1088955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lack of sleep and navigating marriage with a baby in the mix have probably been my hardest issues. Next would be my L&amp;D. Recovery went ok, all things considered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088909 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:55:28 +0000 Foodnerd81 1088909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me its getting used to being a parent and specifically, figuring out our relationship and how to be parents together. It's hard to not sometimes feel resentful when I feel like I'm the I ky one giving a lot of other stuff up, while Dh still goes golfing every weekend. We talk about it but I feel like we still aren't filling understanding the other. It's still a work in progress but that's been the hardest adjustment. </p> <p>I was lucky that my pregnancy was pretty easy, labor and delivery were hard but went well and I feel positive about the experience, and my physical recovery was much better than I expected. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088907 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:55:11 +0000 meganmp 1088907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Getting pregnant in the first place was the most trying/difficult but after that I'd have to say getting used to being a new parent. I knew I'd be tired, but I had no comprehension on what sleep depravation did to me personally. Mind=blown. Pregnancy was a breeze, labor and delivery weren't that bad, recovery was quick-ish, considering that at one point there was a set of arms reaching into my uterus to pull out DD by the feet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088902 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:49:23 +0000 immabeetoo 1088902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>new parenting/baby sleep. hands down. but i think handling it was exacerbated by my rocky postpartum recovery/pain level. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088898 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:47:57 +0000 rachiecakes 1088898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Physical recovery. Even my friends with csections were back in action before I was. And no one I knew had had a similar experience so everyone expected me to be out and about. That was rough. I didn't expect it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088892 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:39:01 +0000 Penny Lane 1088892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: @Ree723: I voted for physical recovery, but what I really meant was physical recovery for my BOOBS! haha. it took months for us to get that down properly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088875 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:29:04 +0000 lovehoneybee 1088875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My pregnancy sucked, my L&amp;D went off the rails, recovery was hard, but being a first time parent was harder than all of that put together. DH had to go back to work the Monday after he was born (he was born on a Wednesday) and my mom was here she left after two weeks. DH works stupid long hours half the week, so I was on my own most of the time (12+ hours a day). I hadn't fully realized how demanding a newborn would be on me. I wasn't expecting a walk in the park, but no matter how much I tried to prepare myself for the idea of a helpless infant being completely reliant on me for every little thing, the reality was even more overwhelming. He wouldn't sleep unless I was holding him. He nursed every hour--sometimes every half an hour. I spent long hours holding him and praying I wouldn't pee on myself because he finally, finally fell asleep and my full bladder came second. It was a rough transition. </p> <p>@aprk: SOFA KING made me LOL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088874 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:28:45 +0000 maybebaby 1088874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: BFing was probably my next hardest thing and we didn't really find our groove until 9 weeks. I feel like that deserves it's own option! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088873 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:28:16 +0000 hellobeeboston 1088873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was definitely becoming a new parent/adjusting for me! </p> <p>I hope your appt goes well, or did you already go? Then hopefully you will completely heal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088872 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:27:48 +0000 maybebaby 1088872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: Great point, edited! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088871 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:27:24 +0000 Ree723 1088871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, none of it really. I had a very easy pregnancy with no discomforts beyond heartburn and some terrible cramping the first few weeks. Labour and delivery were easy as well once I got the epi - I progressed well, had no complications, pushed LO out in less than an hour, and never felt any pain or pressure once the epi was in. Recovery was easy, despite a second degree tear; I never needed any painkillers and felt pretty good by one week postpartum. And adjusting to parenthood wasn't too bad either as I'd read every book under the sun and was prepared for what to expect. I was also blessed with a good feeder and sleeper, and had DH home for two weeks on paternity leave, which was a godsend.</p> <p>The hardest for me was getting used to the pain of BF'ing. Everyone said if it hurts, something is wrong, to which I say bollocks. It takes a while for the nipples to toughen up and in that time, it freaking hurts every time LO latches on. That was the hardest for me but it fortunately eased up around four weeks pp.</p> <p>I'm worried that this time, adjusting to life with two under two is going to be incredibly difficult! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088870 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:27:19 +0000 MarieJ 1088870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The hardest for me was definitely becoming a new parent. It was just finding my groove. Once I got that down, I was good to go! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088868 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:24:49 +0000 runsyellowlites 1088868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: Can you open multiple voting? I did different "hardest parts" with each kiddo...</p> <p>With G is was labor &amp; delivery for sure. Horrible experience. </p> <p>With P is was the adjustment time of becoming a <i>new</i> parent. I was absolutely not expecting a baby with feeding/tummy issues that cried all. the. time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088861 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:22:08 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 1088861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Weeks 4-12 of newborn stage. New parenting is no joke! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-was-hardest#post-1088859 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:20:30 +0000 maybebaby 1088859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprk: Totally. I think the recovery and reliving everything really interfered with settling into the new parent groove. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wish I had sought help earlier because I think it would have allowed me to process it and move on more quickly. </p>