anyone else never held a newborn?

nowayamyrae

I jokingly called my husband a big baby the other day, and he shot back "YOUVE NEVER EVEN SEEN A BABY". And damn, wouldn't you know it, he's right.

I grew up an only child, until I was 16 and my dad remarried and had a second (and later third) kid. I didn't meet my brother until he was about 10 months old, and my sister at her second birthday party (though honestly I still have been around them so infrequently that I always will consider myself an only child).

All my younger cousins are only a few months behind me, so naturally I don't remember any of that. None of our friends have babies. I have no family with babies.

My husband has three younger brothers (he even witnessed two of their home births) so he's sort of teasing me about how he's a pro compared to me...I think I'm starting to REALLY freak out here! Will they teach me how to HOLD a baby in childbirth classes, or do they just expect me to know! ahhh!!! 

nicsigni

I've only held a couple, and not for very long. They make me nervous!!! So fragile and...floppy. I always get stuck holding them very stiffly exactly how they get handed to me, afraid to move them too much.

I think we'll probably get used to it pretty quick though!

CarlaAndJames

They'll teach you in the hospital. I promise you won't be the first mommy who doesn't know how to do it!!

I've held lots of babies and I'm still a little iffy with new newborns, they're just so small and floppy!!

msutheastdnt

It will come to you. You can also look to see if there is a newborn care class available from your hospital or where you are taking your birth class. That will go over things like holding, bathing, etc. 

JayElleJayCee

I don't think you will have a problem. lol. Not to laugh but your story is cute. It comes naturally. They like to be held close and just make sure you support the head.

taitai07

I had never held one until 5 weeks ago, when a friend of mine had a baby and we went and visited her in the hospital the next day. She insisted that I hold her baby for a while to get practice :-) The main thing that freaked me out when I was holding her was that it was kind of impossible to tell whether or not she was breathing!! I don't know if it was because she was swaddled, or if babies just take shallow breaths to begin with, but it was freaky!

I hope that I'll have a nice nurse who will tell me how to hold my baby correctly, hah.

emorymule

I am right there with you... only child. Never held a newborn. Always passed on the choice.

I haven't started freaking out yet tho. I figure I'll have my DH and mom to make sure I don't drop him! 

MommaA117

Like 2 ...only for a few minutes. I never had much interest in others kids.

celiabeth

I'm similar as well.  I'm not an only child, but my brother and I are close in age, we don't have any cousins and I have only held a couple newborns for brief periods of time.  DH has been around young children and will hope that helps (he has tons of cousins) and figure it will just come naturally after the first day or two.

ChristinaMT4

They will teach you in the class and in the hospital. Don't worry, it'll come to you. Also, in my experience, holding your own newborn is a lot different and easier than holding someone else's. I still don't like to hold other peoples babies for long, it's awkward. But holding my own felt very natural right away.

SarahKate31

I held my friend's newborn 4 years ago and she was the first. I walked in the door to visit her and she just handed me the kid just like that. What I remember most was how *tiny* she was. Then a couple years later we went to see another friend's newborn and I was thinking, I remember how small they are. But no, I had forgotten how tiny they are.

In our infant care class this week, the teacher taught us how to pick up the baby various ways. It seems like something you just get used to and it becomes natural. There are no babies in my family and I never ask to hold people's babies so I am a total newbie too! (so is DH)

stinalee24

Oh honey, I'm the oldest of 7 (an "old pro" at this you could say) and I am STILL terrified of having a newborn of my own at home. Maybe not so much with holding him, but I think everyone goes through being nervous about stuff like this. He's going to be my sole responsibility, 24/7 at my house, by ourselves (and DH, but still) and all of that piled on together gets me freaked out. I think it's completely normal - if you weren't nervous in the slightest bit, especially with so little experience, that would be more worrisome than anything.

Sa2827

Ive babysat basically all my cousins and there are 13 of us all together im the oldest.  its scary for a second and then you find it to be not as scary.  You will probably be extra delicate at first but who isnt as a first time parent.

My friend had her first in october and she never held a baby took care of a child or anything and her child is what the doctor says excelling  

I also took a newborn essentials class and i was the only one who has changed a diaper, and taken care of newborn/kids.  You arent the only one out there dont worry it will come naturally and you wont want to put the LO down!!!

DreamChaser246

nicsigni:

I've only held a couple, and not for very long. They make me nervous!!! So fragile and...floppy. I always get stuck holding them very stiffly exactly how they get handed to me, afraid to move them too much.

I think we'll probably get used to it pretty quick though!

Ditto, I'm pretty freaked out!

DH works at a children's hospital doing their blood draws, he has handled THOUSANDS of more newborns than I have, but only to get their blood!

Tellyb0228

I am the youngest of three and I have never held a newborn baby. Its funny that this was posted because I was just talking to my husband the other day about how tiny newborn clothes are. I realized then I had never held a newborn so I don't really know how tiny they are. Other people's babies terrify me but I think with my own I will be just fine :P

ashleah83

emorymule:

I am right there with you... only child. Never held a newborn. Always passed on the choice.

I haven't started freaking out yet tho. I figure I'll have my DH and mom to make sure I don't drop him! 

Me too - only child, youngest cousin - first of my friends preggo. I have never even SEEN a newborn! 

cookierlr1

nope never done it, maybe when I was 4 and my brother was born, but I don't think so because there aren't any pics of it and I certainly didn't do it on my own. I avoid other people's babies like a plague, I do not want to drop them!

Phlenin

nicsigni:

I've only held a couple, and not for very long. They make me nervous!!! So fragile and...floppy. I always get stuck holding them very stiffly exactly how they get handed to me, afraid to move them too much.

I think we'll probably get used to it pretty quick though!

This is me exactly. 

Rachel5782

I've had quite a bit of experience with newborns, but DH did not until recently when my SILs had children.  He used to get so nervous holding them, but now he's gotten pretty good at it.  The only problem he has now is trusting OTHER people to hold them.  When he has to hand off one of our nieces or nephews to other people, he gets really jumpy with the way they hold them.  I keep telling him to relax or he's going to get really annoying when we have our baby.  While you have to support their necks and heads, they aren't going to break as easily as he thinks they will.  They are a lot sturdier than they look!