newborn - Boston Moms Blog

I recently gave birth to my second child — a beautiful, smart, healthy, smiley girl who has been mastering her coos. I love her to pieces, and she charms the pants off of anyone who walks by her.

Everyone talks about how sweet and angelic newborns are. They talk about how they will never be this little or cozy up and fall asleep on your chest like they do right now.

Totally true.

So, you can imagine what a monster I feel like for saying this (publicly — on the internet — no less!):

The newborn period kind of sucks. Well, let’s face it — it doesn’t kind of suck. It really sucks!

Moms, please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way!

Right now, my precious baby girl eats, sleeps, and poops. She cries, she spits up, she has gas pains. During the day, she’ll fall asleep in my arms and need to stay there to stay asleep. Goodbye, cooking! Goodbye, cleaning! Goodbye, any hopes and dreams of getting anything done.

My life has been taken over by an eight-pound ruler. She literally sucks out all my energy, she tortures me with sleep deprivation, and she has taken over my house with all her things.

I am taking a three-month maternity leave. This means I go back to work when she will start to be fun. Daycare will get to experience most of her milestones — first giggle, first time sitting up, first time crawling, and so on. They will get to interact with her in ways I will only be able to enjoy on the weekends.

Since she’s my second, I know things will get better. (They will, right?) I know she will become more independent and she will sleep better (I hope). I know that as I distance myself from the newborn period, I will become nostalgic for it. I will miss smelling her sweet little breath. I will miss holding her when she is milk drunk. I will miss her little fingers circling themselves around mine.

But, for now, please let me acknowledge that the newborn period really sucks!

Lindsay Goldberg
Lindsay Goldberg is a working mom who then comes home and works there, too. She loves finding quick, healthy recipes to make for her family and lives for her Sunday morning escape to the gym. She has given up on trying to find balance, and is, instead focused on surviving and being Good Enough. Likes- books, family dance parties, morning snuggles, and drinking coffee when it's still hot. Dislikes- recipes with more than 10 ingredients or 10 steps, winter, and deadlines

9 COMMENTS

  1. I completely agree! I was not fond of the newborn period and as a first time mom, didn’t even have the knowledge to know it would get better. I still experience a lot of firsts, or at least daycare lets me believe that :). I think age 4m to 10m was my favorite. My daughter is 13m now and is very fun but also is entering tantrum territory. Each age brings its own challenges!

    • So true! Every age has different pluses and minuses… For me, I would pick the threenager over the three month old anytime!

  2. You are so right! My kids were both good sleepers, too, but they were no fun for the first 3 months. The total dependency is a lot of pressure, on top of the fact that you are given sideways glances if you express any discontent during this supposed babymoon phase. Kudos to you for putting it all out there! You are most definitely not alone!

    • For once, the internet helps with esteem! 🙂 Less pinterest, and more real life! Bring on the tales of meltdowns and heartache!

  3. I’m in the thick of it with my second right now. This article is dead on! I wish I could relax and just soak it in but hormones, lack of sleep and anxiety make it impossible right now. I keep telling myself…it’s only temporary!

  4. Thank you for being honest!! It helps other moms feel not so guilty for those not so rainbow and sunshine thoughts 🙂

  5. YES! The newborn period was miserable in so many ways. And just when they started to be fun at 3 months — I went back to work and they went to daycare! I felt this way with both my girls who are 9 and 12 now. And I still don’t get nostalgic around infants. They make my stomach hurt.

  6. Completely agree! I felt like something was wrong with me for not enjoying the first few months. It’s hard, and I she’s my first! It seems even more difficult to try to care for a newborn plus another child, even with the help of my husband.

    And despite having more challenges as my daughter gets older, I love it. We can communicate and understand each other, she’s a little bit independent (walking every chance she gets) and it’s amazing to watch her as she learns or practices something new (like how to clasp/unclasp her car seat straps).

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