T is going to be 1 next week. I've spent a little time reflecting on our first year today. I'm feeling a touch nolstagic.
Describe your first year as a parent with your first.
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With my first, pretty rocky. I had PPD and just felt totally, utterly overwhelmed.
My second won't turn 1 until April, but so far my first year with him has been so much easier.
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The first 3 months were so so hard. After that, things got a lot more enjoyable, even though of course there were plenty of hard times too. I never understood the desire for huge 1st birthday parties, since the kid won't know the difference, until I had a 1 year old and realized I wanted to celebrate US making it through the first year! (Still didn't have a big party but I understood it at least).
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I should also mention I'm binge watching Rattled because I am super sick. It follows 4 families during their first year as parents.
I can't imagine doing it with cameras.
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It was really, really hard. God I loved the time with my baby, though. Even when it was the middle of the night...7 times.
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Rollercoaster!
0-3 months easy
4-5 months awful
6-10 months super easy
10-11 months all sick all the time (more us than LO but some for her too) making things pretty challengingShe's almost 11 months right now, I cannot believe she'll be 1 so soon. Overall so much more exciting and hilarious and delightful than I ever imagined. And hard in different ways than I pictured.
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For me/us there were really hard things: A 42 hour induction, breastfeeding struggles, her being in the PICU at 4 days old due to dehydration, overall lack of sleep, getting referred to Shriners for orthopedic issues (our appointment is tomorrow).
But the highs have been so much bigger and frequent: just loving this little human so much, seeing her smile and laugh, feeling we are a good team as parents, getting to see DH be a Daddy. It's been awesome.
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Crazy?! I mean, so amazing, but looking back definitely sooo crazy! DD is almost 15 months!
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0-2 months was really conflicting because I wanted to BF so badly but it wasn't working well for us and I was constantly on youtube, kellymom, etc trying to figure it out. It was overwhelming but DH was home with me for the first 6 weeks.
3-5 months was really hard because I felt so isolated at home and depressed. Our BF turned a corner which was great but I didn't like being at home.
6-7 months has been much better and I think part of it is because I am back at work and there is more balance in my life. My relationship with DS is also more "rewarding" because he lifts his arms to be held, tries to belly crawl over to me. I feel like I am getting to see his little personality emerge.Overall, it's been challenging, delightful, defining, crazy, monotonous, but also the best.
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It was so much better than I expected. It was mostly a wonderful year and it flew by! I was prepared for the worst so anything really was a pleasant surprise. I had a pretty easy going baby though. Praying the transition to 2 is as enjoyable!
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0-6 months was ridiculously hard, deep in the midst of undiagnosed tongue tie issues and having a really hard time adjusting to being parents. 6-12 months after it was fixed was amazing. 12-24 months even better, toddlers are my jam
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0-3 months was a numb blur. We battled thrush again and again and took an international trip with baby.
4-10 months was awesome. Very rewarding.
Started crawling at 10 months and suddenly so much changed! Overall, a great first year. The toddler world has been tougher on us.
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The first 4 months were a nightmare. Months 5-6 were more "normal" - DS' colic dissipated, he went off reflux meds, and I could return to eating normally during this phase (I was on a super restricted elimination diet until then). Months 6-9 were pretty great. Months 9-12 were fine, he just had some MOTN sleep disturbances and he had a super long and painful transition to 1 nap that didn't resolve until 14 months.
Walking and getting into everything after 1 year, and now the tantrums at 18 months is what's been the new crazymakers!
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Super sleep deprived! DS wasn't a good sleeper (and still isn't) so the nights have been super rough. Otherwise, it's been quite rewarding! Watching him grow and develop, has been amazing!!
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I had a pretty easy baby but I thought everything was so hard! Month 1 was the most difficult with learning how to be a parent and learning how to BF.
Balancing work and dealing with my commute was difficult too.
I definitely overracted about too many things back then....mil stuff, daycare, feeding and much much more! -
So, so hard. She was a terrible sleeper until around 6 months, and didn't STTN until 10 months. She had so many food issues that even with an extreme elimination diet for the entire year, we never totally cleared her up. I was always sooo stressed about giving her food (I feared she would have an allergic reaction). Pumping at work sucked and I had issues with supply. Life finally got a bit easier around 12 months.
People complain about toddlers but I would take tantrums and power struggles over newborn stuff any day.
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It was really hard. She was a terrible sleeper (waking 3-6 times a night until after 12 months) and I had to go back to school when she was 2 weeks old. I was exhausted and overworked and felt isolated. She also had MSPI (as well as being sensitive to almonds and eggs) and it took me a long time to figure out what was bothering her and I had to go on an elimination diet for over a year.
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The first year was so difficult for me. I was literally miserable the first few months. I didn't know if I was going to survive. The sleep deprivation hit me hard. I was constantly anxious about my daughter's sleep, and I was on the verge of tears every few days. Now, she's 17 months, and is so fun. There are tantrums, and fussies, but overall, it is so so so much better, and I love seeing her grow and develop.
I wish there were more resources for parents. We had no one, and no real community, and I was struggling every day.
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Rocky for me. T was a good baby and it was smooth aside from some breastfeeding and milestone issues. I had issues with anxiety and accepting my new PP body and life. Around 18 months is when I really began to be happy again.
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Pretty amazing, really. With my first, there were health issues she had to work through that were hard, and with my second, we moved internationally when he was four months old, and that has been distressing. But the actual first year of parenting each of them has been wonderful, I love the newborn stage and watching them grow and develop.
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I like having a child who walks and talks much better than having an infant.
I wish I had known at the time that I would eventually think my son was awesome. It took awhile to get there.
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It was really hard but every day was better than the last. By day 365 I was really loving being a mom. I had no idea my love could grow so exponentially.
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The first year was challenging and very overwhelming. It was full of new experiences and trying to navigate the ins and outs of caring for a child. I didn't have a particularly difficult baby, but everything was so new to me. My experience with my second was so much different. Easier and less stressful. Still full of challenges but nothing that we couldn't handle.
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Straight up awful for the first 6 months. Got a little better between 6-8, then was great from 8-10. I don't want to do it again, though.
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The first year was very, very hard. I had PPD/PPA and couldn't bond with her for the first few months. I haven't completely recovered, even now, but that first year was completely blighted by anxiety.
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I've been thinking about this because baby girl just turned one yesterday!
So hard and so wonderful at the same time? The quickest year ever but also feels like her birth was so long ago! We had a lot of challenges, long labor, c-section, MSPI, elimination diet (at one point down to 7 or so foods, still off dairy and only added gluten, eggs, soy back in a month or so ago), terrible naps at one point, terrible sleep from months 4-about 2 nights ago
But I got to stay home for 6 months, was happy going back to work and happy most of the time working, my schedule as a teacher allows us a lot of good time together. Every stage I'm enjoying more and more and I just can't wait to experience what's next! I'm also trying to slow down and appreciate the moments now too
Baby girl is starting to walk and talk and really starting to see her personality too. And I feel like my marriage came through the first year in good shape.
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It's funny because it was pretty hard, but I didn't fully realize it until it was over. Like, at the time, on a daily basis I felt like I was handling things really well, and only felt overwhelmed on the really crazy days when say, LO and I were simultaneously sick and I had something big due at work, and DH was out of town for work, etc.
But once LO started sleeping better at 1 year old, and I pump weaned she was she 13 months old, I felt so FREE, and things got easier, and I realized how I'd been running on empty for a long, long time.
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The first 3 months with LO1 were insanely difficult. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, and to make things more difficult, she had a lot of breastfeeding issues the first 6 weeks, had colic, and was just a very high maintenance infant. I think I cried every day. Around 6 months, she starting getting way more enjoyable and once she was able to crawl and walk, it got even better. I really enjoyed the 6-12 month stage.
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It wouldn't have been bad if I didn't deal with PPD. I was in therapy and worked out but looking back I think meds would have helped.
But as far as caring for my LO, everything came pretty natural and I loved it. DS was not a sleeper...so I was tired often.
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Probably shouldnt answer since I have only experienced a quarter of the first year but ... AWESOME. Knocking on wood, but DS is far easier than I expected him to be. Didnt get his laid back personality from me.
The only thing that has been meh is starting back at work this week. I've been slammed and basically didnt get any transition from being home 24/7 with DS to working crazy hours in a high stress environment. 
Ah well. It's almost the weekend. -
Like @wrkbrk: I've also only experienced a quarter of a year but so far it's been better than I imagined, especially before I went back to work. Now that I'm back, it's much harder and it doesn't help that DS (and I!) have been sick since the second week of daycare/work. I hope we find our new groove soon
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I had a fair bit of anxiety, but I also think back to the first year as magical and life changing. I'm so grateful for the experience. And I wish I could have another baby and do it again!
Ah well. It's almost the weekend. Reply
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31 comments