STM: Things you "forgot" about newborns

michelle142 · November 2014

What are some things about the newborn stage that you've forgotten (or conveniently blocked out), and now thoughts of those things are resurfacing?

Example: "The Witching Hour"

dontgiveupnomatterwhat · November 2014

Bleeding, raw nipples.
Leaking milk.
Pumping.
Waking up soaking wet the first couple weeks from sweating.
Boobie BO.

HerHighness · November 2014

How teeny tiny they really are! Seeing my 2 itty bitty new nephews recently has brought a lot of that back.

And i dont want to think about labor....

Beth.1212 · November 2014

Ask me again in March

kefttsc · November 2014

HerHighness said:

How teeny tiny they really are! Seeing my 2 itty bitty new nephews recently has brought a lot of that back.

And i dont want to think about labor....

When we received a sample of pampers swaddlers in the mail (Newborn size), I said to DH, "MAN, babies are LITTLE."

mishka29 · November 2014

That newborn cry

Leaky boobies

A baby that doesn't "sleep like a baby"....ugh *shudder*

CatLadyTX · November 2014

dontgiveupnomatterwhat said:

Bleeding, raw nipples. Leaking milk. Pumping. Waking up soaking wet the first couple weeks from sweating. Boobie BO.

All of this. Also, I was being silly and put a NB pamper's swaddler on my son's stuffed bird. DH swore it would be too big. My heart dropped when it actually fit. I forgot how tiny they are.

Angeldcf · November 2014

You can nurse, run out to Target, hear somebody else's kid cry then realize you have 2 wet circles on your shirt. ALWAYS have a sweater/jacket handy.

Weird transition from Pregnant Princess to Former Incubator. It was weird to BF, pass out then wake up to find out several people had stopped by the house to see the baby and already left. Attention shifts from "how are you feeling mama?" to "where's the baby? I want to hold the baby! Oh, you're here?"

Day-Night confusion

BF poop smells slightly sweet

The first few days are a LIE! A lie! Baby slept so soundly with tons of visitors in the hospital room, I foolishly thought, "this is no big deal. Why do people complain about this?" Baby 'woke up' the day we got home. Finally got him to sleep and slightest noise would wake him up.

michelle142 · November 2014

Marathon nursing sessions

Seemingly never-ending growth spurts

How small they start out - I'm seriously questioning if a human baby will fit into my newborn CD stash...

How quickly they grow and change

The absurd amounts of spit up

Sleep deprivation that no amount of caffeine can cure

Sleeping in a rocking chair because that's just how things happen

The times when the baby is crying for hours and you're crying right along with them because you can't figure out what the heck they need

bhjones1980 · November 2014

Angeldcf said:
BF poop smells slightly sweet
The first few days are a LIE! A lie! Baby slept so soundly with tons of visitors in the hospital room, I foolishly thought, "this is no big deal. Why do people complain about this?" Baby 'woke up' the day we got home. Finally got him to sleep and slightest noise would wake him up.

I thought it smelled like buttered popcorn... then they start solids and it all goes bad!

Yes the baby does nothing but sleep in the hospital, what a good baby, I love this new little bundle of joy... and then you get home.

michelle142 · November 2014

bhjones1980 said:

Angeldcf said:
BF poop smells slightly sweet
The first few days are a LIE! A lie! Baby slept so soundly with tons of visitors in the hospital room, I foolishly thought, "this is no big deal. Why do people complain about this?" Baby 'woke up' the day we got home. Finally got him to sleep and slightest noise would wake him up.

I thought it smelled like buttered popcorn... then they start solids and it all goes bad!

Yes the baby does nothing but sleep in the hospital, what a good baby, I love this new little bundle of joy... and then you get home.

I honestly don't remember any scent whatsoever to DS's EBF poop. I have heard the buttered popcorn reference from other Moms though.

michelle142 · November 2014

The black tar-like diapers for the first few days. Those were... something.

ordinary1 · November 2014

Cluster feeding
How scary the first long session of sleep is
The awkward phase where maternity feels frumpy/wrong to wear and pre-pregnancy clothes don't fit

Angeldcf · November 2014

ordinary1 said:

How scary the first long session of sleep is

Yep- I woke up frantic after 4 hours (also felt like I could conquer the world after 4 hrs of sleep) and ran to his PnP. Put my finger under his nose to see if he was breathing.

michelle142 · November 2014

ordinary1 said:

Cluster feeding
How scary the first long session of sleep is

Yes! The first time they sleep longer than usual and you wake up in a panic "OMG SOMETHING IS WRONG!?!"

kismetjess · November 2014

Growth spurts. SO many growth spurts...SO many hours stuck under a nursing baby.

ConstanceGoodspeed · November 2014

their peeling skin

how lightweight and pleasant they are to hold

cradle cap

the sweet smell of their breath

when they shake their heads quickly from side to side to try to find the nipple (forget if that is newborn or later, but it always made me laugh)

racheltherose · November 2014

I'm a FTM, but these are all so fun to read!

CatLadyTX · November 2014

This is making me crave the newborn stage all over again. Remember watching DS rooting for his milk was so sweet. Speaking of sweet, exactly what @ConstanceGoodspeed‌ said about their breath!
Squishy newborn snuggles. Tiny newborn pjs. The funny faces. The sound of them sleeping. I love newborns

Cluster feeding at 3w almost made me quit nursing. Don't be scared of it, it does come to an end eventually. Just keep lots of lanolin on hand for it.

chicagojackie · November 2014

how cute and funny their little toes are

how everything makes their skin rashy

how content they look nursing

the funny little newborn cry

ordinary1 · November 2014

How much they crack. I swear every time we picked up Annabelle her back cracked.

carolinefriesen · November 2014

Rock hard boobs at times until your supply evens out in a few weeks...

winterbabe2015 · November 2014

The first smile.
First squeal

BellinghamMama said:
Two words: peri bottle

^^^This. ..I had completely forgotten :-( Ugh

Sahara6971 · November 2014

miniwheat10 said:

How after a couple weeks everything smells like milk and diapers.
How loud their poops are.
How cute they look when they stretch.

This!!
nipples so sore that they bleed
being the most tired you have ever been in your life

mandamoochie · November 2014

michelle142 said:

ordinary1 said:

Cluster feeding
How scary the first long session of sleep is

Yes! The first time they sleep longer than usual and you wake up in a panic "OMG SOMETHING IS WRONG!?!"

-----quote fail------

Haaa.. totally forgot about this one. I couldn't sleep the first couple of nights without knowing SOMEONE was watching him... that was majorly scary to me. Up until like.... 4 months if I woke up after an unexpectedly long sleep I ran to check him. I wasn't expecting that one.

AF9211 · November 2014

For formula fed babies, their yellow seedlike stinky poops...and pooping ALL THE TIME!
How much they sneeze & yawn
All of the funny faces they make
How easily they startle...DD would be sleeping in her swing and suddenly jump or punch her arms out in a crazy karate type move

This time around I'm going to really try and enjoy the newborn stage. It goes so fast, and with DD I felt like I was in survival mode until she was about 3 or 4 months old.

yesiknowwhatcausesthat · November 2014

How hard they are to dress. They're so floppy and don't help by pushing their arms into their sleeves (actually it's quite the opposite).

mishka29 · November 2014

The farts! They are soooo funny!

WanderingA · November 2014

I'm loving this, I can't wait for a new squish!

-The peely skin
-How incredibly noisy they are when they sleep. Constant little groans and grunts!
-The smooshy spot on their head
- The moro reflex - so cute/heartbreaking to see their little arms and legs jut out randomly!

Zsmommmy · November 2014

EVERYTHING!!!!! I :-t I literally changed a diaper for the first time in 3 years a month ago

t8keepr03 · November 2014

How tiny they are. I remembered this when I got our going home outfit a few weeks ago.

The "witching hour" was definitely something I forgot about until the recent thread.

I second the startle reflex they have. I forgot about how they just jerk randomly.

Also, the newborn smell!

this might be our last so I am going to cherish every waking moment with this little one and be glad I get some 3 am snuggles! With DD I felt like I was in survival but I loved being home on maternity leave and just holding her all day while she slept. I can't wait to get my time alone with this little one!

krispy83 · November 2014

Ugh, cluster feeding and growth spurts.. I am SO not looking forward to those.

Blocked tear ducts

Reflux and the craaaaazy baby gas

The startle reflex

How confused they get when they sneeze, like "what the hell was that?!?!"

Getting peed on at every.single.diaper.change.

And the tears that will come when you finally have one pair of pre-pregnancy jeans that fits and is clean, and then the baby spits up all over them.

crabigator · November 2014

WanderingA said:
I'm loving this, I can't wait for a new squish!

-The peely skin
-How incredibly noisy they are when they sleep. Constant little groans and grunts!
-The smooshy spot on their head
- The moro reflex - so cute/heartbreaking to see their little arms and legs jut out randomly!

OMG, so this. I remember not being able to fall asleep, even though I was soooo tired, because of those danged baby grunts!!

[Deleted User] · November 2014

The user and all related content has been deleted.

wintersong139 · November 2014

Stephanie2378 said:

My last newborn was 13 years ago and I remember all of this! You'll have to ask us again in February...

That is one good thing about being due at the end of February--although, many of our earlier mamas will probably be way to exhausted to bump at that point!

CatLadyTX · November 2014

S/O the startle reflex, DS had one that was so bad he was actually admitted to Texas Children's NICU for a few nights when he was about a week old. Everyone thought he was having seizures, they were so bad. Two spinal taps, an EEG, an ultrasound and tons of bloodwork later, it was just exaggerated movement.
Moral of the story: don't let the jerky movements scare you too much.

mom2xover2002 · November 2014

@Stephanie2378‌ you too?? It's like being a FTM all over again! Lol! Mine will be 12 & 13 when LO is born!

Can't wait for the snuggles and baby smell. As for lack of sleep... I've been sleep deprived since February 13th 2002! But that's what husbands are for right?? Lol

AshleySparkle720 · November 2014

I think the most wonderful thing is the yawning, the stretching, and when they grip your fingers with their teeny tiny hands. Also, when they hiccup or sneeze and look so offended by what just happened.

so much cuteness

michelle142 · November 2014

The ridiculous man-farts that can come from such a small human being

Those were always good for a laugh!

nbad311 · November 2014

Also a FTM lurking, and reading all these are getting excited!

digwriter · November 2014

Just the fact that you can hold them for an endless amount of time and they never try to squirm away. DD1 is 2 1/2 now, so I rarely get to have cuddles with her anymore. Sooo looking forward to getting newborn cuddles again.